BR 

555 

.K3 

S4 

1922 


COMMITTEE  ON  SOCIAL  AND  RELIGIOUS  SURVEYS 

TOWN    AND   COUNTRY   DEPARTMENT 

Edmund  deS.  Brunner,  Director 


SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

KANSAS  "^'^' 

A  CHURCH  AND 
COMMUNITY  SURVEY 

BY 

BENSON  Y.  LANDIS 


NEW   >CBir  YORK 
GEORGE  H.  DORAN  COMPANY 


BR  555  .K3  S4  1922 

Landis,  Benson  Young,  1897- 

Sedgwick  County,  Kansas 


V 


COMMITTEE  ON  SOCIAL  AND  RELIGIOUS  SURVEYS 

TOWN    AND    COUNTRY  DEPARTMENT 

Edmund  deS.  Brunner,  Director 


SEDGWICK    COUNTY 

.  KANSAS 


A  CHURCH    AND 
COMMUNITY    SURVEY 


ii^idkl  i\ 


BY 


V^ 


BENSON  Y.  LANDIS 


WITH    ILLUSTR-ATIONS 
MAPS  AND   CHARTS 


NEW    ^IS^   YORK 
GEORGE  H.  DORAN  COMPANY 


COPYRIGHT,    1922, 
BY   GEORGE    H.    DORAN    COMPANY 


PRINTED   IN    THE    UNITED   STATES   OF    AMERICA 


FOREWORD 

THIS  pamphlet  is  one  of  a  series  which  present  the  results 
of  a  Church  Survey  in  the  field  of  Town  and  Country, 
begun  under  the  auspices  of  the  Interchurch  World  Move- 
ment, and  completed  by  the  Committee  on  Social  and  Religious 
Surveys.  From  among  the  one  thousand  county  surveys  which 
the  Interchurch  had  undertaken  and  in  which  considerable  prog- 
ress had  been  made,  a  limited  number  were  selected  for  com- 
pletion on  an  intensive  plan,  in  the  belief  that  these  would  throw 
light  upon  some  of  the  more  important  problems  of  church  and 
community  life.  The  selection  was  made  with  great  care.  Certain 
fundamental  factors  were  examined  in  all  of  the  counties  in  which 
a  survey  had  been  undertaken,  so  that  outstanding  abnormalities 
might  be  avoided,  or  proper  account  taken  of  them.  Agricultural, 
educational  and  religious  officials  were  consulted.  State  and  Fed- 
eral census  reports  studied.  The  counties  selected  are  so  dis- 
tributed over  the  United  States  as  to  afford  fairly  typical  specimens 
of  Town  and  Country  Survey  for  all  the  great  regions  into  which 
the  country  is  divided.  It  must  be  recognized,  however,  that  no 
county  can  be  completely  typical  of  any  larger  area  in  respect 
to  every  situation. 

These  studies  have  been  made  from  the  point  of  view  of  the 
church  recognizing,  however,  that  economic  and  social  conditions 
affect  church  life.  The  community  has,  therefore,  been  studied  as 
well  as  the  church.  Communities  have  been  located  and  defined, 
their  economic  background  investigated,  their  population  analyzed. 
Those  factors  which  enter  into  the  make-up  of  the  social  mind,  such 
as  social  life,  public  opinion,  leadership,  means  of  communication, 
social  affiliations  and  community  spirit,  have  all  been  evaluated. 
Community  activities,  particularly  those  dealing  with  amusement 
and  recreation,  have  been  recognized  and  noted.  The  schools  and 
their  contribution  to  community  life  have  been  taken  into  account. 
And  all  has  been  from  the  point  of  view  of  the  church. 

The  study  of  the  church  has  been  made  from  the  point  of  view 
of  its  history,  its  equipment,  its  financial  system,  its  members  and 
their  occupations,  its  services  and  their  type,  the  parish,  organiza- 
tions such  as  the  Sunday  School,  the  Young  People's  Societies  and 
their  program. 


FOREWORD 

An  intensive  study  has  been  made  of  the  distinctly  rural  areas 
and  of  those  centers  of  population  which  have  less  than  five  thousand 
inhabitants.  In  the  cases  of  towns  larger  than  this,  an  attempt 
has  been  made  to  measure  the  service  of  such  towns  to  the  surround- 
ing countryside. 

Spiritual  results  in  church  work  are  not  measurable  by  the  foot 
rule  of  statistics.  This  survey  does  not  deal,  therefore,  with  the 
spiritual  product  of  any  church  in  the  lives  of  individuals,  but 
with  community  conditions  and  the  mechanics  of  administration  which 
are  instruments  for  carrying  on  church  activities  and  spiritual  work. 

The  reader  must  understand  that  figures  have  often  been  given 
in  percentages  as  aids  in  comparison.  He  should  be  cautioned,  how- 
ever, against  being  misled  by  percentage  figures  wdiere  the  number 
of  cases  happens  to  be  very  small. 

The  aim  of  the  survey  is  distinctly  practical.  It  is  hoped  that 
it  will  prove  to  be  of  value  not  only  to  the  churches  and  communities 
of  the  county  surveyed,  and  to  church  boards  and  societies  operat- 
ing therein,  but  also  to  social  and  educational  agencies  which  are 
interested  in  rural  work  generally.  It  is  also  believed  that  the 
situations  discovered  and  the  problems  emerging  in  each  of  these 
surveys  will  be  found  to  bear  sufficient  resemblance  to  those  in 
other  counties  within  the  same  region,  as  to  render  the  policies  and 
programs  proposed  of  definite  value  beyond  the  boundaries  of  the 
areas  that  have  been  intensively  studied. 

The  results  of  these  surveys  will  ultimately  be  published  in  twelve 
volumes,  three  of  these  will  treat  individual  counties  illustrating 
a  survey  method  in  a  single  rural  geographical  and  political  unit. 
The  Sedgwick  County  volume  is  one  of  the  three.  .Similar  studies 
were  made  of  an  Eastern  and  Far  Western  county. 

The  remaining  volumes  will  treat  of  outstanding  problems  in 
several  well  defined  regions  such  as  the  South,  the  Range  and  the 
Northwest,  on  the  basis  of  surveys  in  two  or  more  re]iresentative 
counties  in  each  of  these  regions.  There  will  also  be  a  final  volume 
summarizing  the  total  results  of  all  these  counties. 


ACKNOWLEDGMENT 

THE  Director  of  the  Town  and  Country  Survey  Department 
for  the  Interchurch  World  Movement  was  Edmund  deS. 
Brunner.  He  was  hkewise  the  Director  of  this  Department 
for  the  Committee  on  Social  and  Religious  Surveys. 

The  original  survey  of  Sedgwick  County  was  conducted  under 
Francis  M.  Leaman.  State  Survey  Superviser  of  the  Interchuch 
World.  Associated  with  him  was  a  county  leader  the  Rev.  W.  A. 
Bosworth.  of  Wichita,  who  did  the  active  work  in  gathering  the 
data  on  the  hlanks  provided.  Their  work  was  done  during  the  years 
1919-20. 

The  field  worker  of  the  Committee  on  Social  and  Religious  Sur- 
veys for  Sedgwick  County  was  Mr.  B.  Y.  Landis.  During  the  spring 
of  1 92 1,  he  verified  the  results  of  the  survey  work  previously  done 
and  secured  additional  information,  not  included  in  the  original  study. 
The  services  of  Dr.  Sanderson,  the  executive  secretary  of  the 
Wichita  Federation  of  Churches,  and  Mr.  Macy,  the  county  agri- 
cultural agent,  were  of  great  assistance. 

Valuable  help  was  given  by  the  Home  Missions  Council  and  the 
Council  of  Women  for  Home  Missions  through  their  Sub-Committee 
on  Town  and  Country  Survey  and  also  by  the  Joint  Committee  on 
Utilizing  Surveys,  which  was  appointed  by  the  Home  Missions  Coun- 
cil and  the  Federal  Council  of  the  Churches  for  the  purpose  of  co- 
operating with  the  Committee  on  Social  and  Religious  Surveys  in 
endeavoring  to  translate  the  results  of  the  Survey  into  action.  The 
members  of  the  Joint  Committee  were : 


Representing  the  Federal  Couucil  of  Churches 
Miss  Anna  Clark  C.  N.  Lathrop 

Roy  B.  Guild  U.  L.  Mackey 

F.  E.  Johnson  A.  E.  Roberts 

A.  E.  Holt  C.  E.  Schaeffer 

Fred  B.  Smith 


A(  KXOWI.KDC.MKNT 

Rcprcscniituj  the  Home  Missions  Council  and  the  Council  of  Women 

for  Home  Missions 
Alfred  W.  Anthony  Rolvix  Harlan 

L.  C.  Barnes  R.  A.  Hutchison 

Mrs.  F.  S.  Bennett  Miss  Florence  Ouinlan 

C.  A.  Brooks  R.  W.  Ronndy" 

C.  E.  Burton  W.  P.  Shriver 
A.  E.  Cory  I'aul  L.  \'o^ 

D.  D.  Forsyth  Warren  H.  Wilson 


VI 


CONTENTS 

PART  I :     A  GENERAL  VIEW  OF  THE  FIELD 

CHAPTER  PACE 

I     Introducing  Sedgwick  County     ,,.,.,  13 

II     Economic  Characteristics   ....„.,.  18 

III  The  Making  of  the  Rural  Community  .      .      ,      ,  27 

IV  Social  Characteristics  .......,„  32 

PART  II:     RELIGIOUS   LIFE  AND   INSTITUTIONS 

V     The  Religious  Situation  in  General     .      .      .      ,  39 

VI     Equipment  and  Finance     .      «      ,      .      ,      c      o      ,  44 

VII     The  Ministers       ,.,...      o      ..      -  50 

VIII     AlEMBERSHir       , ,      ..      c      »      .  55 

IX     Organisation  and  Programme        „..„..  61 

X     "The  Par  Standard"      .....      .0,      „  65 

XI     The  Federated  Church  at  Waco  ,      .      .      ,      „      „  67 

XII     Non-Protestant  Work    ,     .      ,      .      .      .     ,      »      o  72 

XIII     Conclusions  and  Recommendations   ,      ,     »     .     .  74 


ILLUSTRATIONS,  MAPS  AND  CHARTS 

ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

Every  Community  Has  at  Least  One  Co-operative  Grain 

Elevator 21 

Apple  Orchard  Near  Wichita 24 

Bank  at  Andale 28 

High  and  Grade  School,  Valley  Center 32 

Autos  of  School  Children,  An  Ordinary  Day  at  Valley 

Center 33 

High  School  Gy'mnasium,  Garden  Plain      .  ....        35 

M.  E.  Church,  Bentley 44 

M.  E.  Parsonage,  Clearwater 46 

Dl'ring  the  Sunday  Service,  Federated  Church,  Waco, 

Kansas         67 

Road  from  Wichita  to  Waco 70 

Roman  Catholic  Church,  Andale 72 

MAPS 

Church    and    Community    Map    of    Sedgwick    County, 

Kansas         40-41 


CHARTS 

I     Effect  of  System  in  Church  Finance  ....  47 

II     How  the  Church  Dollar  is  Raised 48 

III  How  the  Church  Dollar  is  Expended  ....  49 

IV  53  Protestant  Churches  Classified  According  to 

Residence  of  Ministers 51 

V     Salary  Scale  of  the  Ministers 52 

ix 


ILLUSTRATION'S.  MAPS  AXI)   CHARTS 

PACE 

VI     Number  of  Pastorates  During  Past  Ti:n  Years   .  53 

VII     Church  Members  in  Population 55 

VIII     Ri;sii)i:nce  and  Activity  of  Ciu'rch  Mi.mi'.i-.rs  ,      .  56 

IX     Relation  of  Size  of  Church  JMembership  to  Gain  57 

X     NuMBf.R  of  Churches  Gaining  and  Losing  in  One 

Yi:ar   Pi:rioi) 58 

XI     Freouencv  of  CiiL'Kcii   Ser\tces 64 


I 

A  GENERAL  VIEW  OF  THE  FIELD 


A  CHURCH  AND  COMMUNITY 

SURVEY  OF 

SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

KANSAS 

Chapter  I 

INTRODUCING  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

X"T  THEN  a  great  and  thriving  city  such  as  Wichita  grows  up 
^%/  within  an  area  Hke  Sedgwick  County,  certain  questions 
naturally  arise  in  connection  with  a  rural  Church  Survey : 
Does  a  city  "bleed"  or  aid  the  rural  communities  around  it?  What 
services  are  rendered  by  the  city — in  church  life  especially,  in  recrea- 
tion, in  marketing?  How  has  the  farmer  aided  the  city?  Again: 
Thirty-five  or  forty  years  ago  the  various  denominations  in  what  is 
now  Sedgwick  County  helped  to  establish  churches  in  what  was  then 
a  frontier  region.  What  has  been  the  result?  Now  that  the 
churches  have  graduated  from  the  "home-mission-aid  class"  how 
well  are  they  ministering  to  the  people?  What  great  tasks  remain 
to  be  accomplished?  In  addition  to  discussing  the  usual  data  of  a 
church  survey,  this  narrative  will  place  emphasis  upon  these  two 
topics. 

Sedgwick  County  lies  in  South  Central  Kansas.  Kansas  is  part 
of  the  Prairie  region,  which  embraces  Kansas,  Oklahoma,  Nebraska, 
and  some  parts  of  surrounding  states.  In  this  region  farming  is 
passing  from  "one  crop"  to  diversified.  Wheat  growing  is  being 
accompanied  by  the  raising  of  corn  or  other  grain  and  alfalfa.  Fruit 
and  truck  are  coming  to  be  grown  near  the  cities,  while  dairying  is 
being  developed  owing  to  the  demand  for  these  foods  from  the  urban 
population.  Cities  are.  comparatively  few.  Towns  and  villages  are 
closely  related  to  the  farming  population.  They  have. little  manu- 
facturing, and  would  hardly  amount  to  anytliing  did  the  farmers  not 
retire  to  them.  To  a  less  extent  this  is  also  true  of  the  smaller  cities. 
Here  the  church  has  passed  through  the  problems  of  the  frontier 

13 


SL  R\'KV  OF  SKDCiWICK  COUNTY.   KANSAS 

stag'e,  and  has  settled  down  to  ministering-  to  a  comparatively  stable 
ptjpulation.  Sedgwick  lies  in  the  more  favoured  section  of  this  area, 
and  the  present  analysis  of  churcli  achievements  and  j^roblems  will 
therefore  throw  some  light  on  the  church  life  of  other  counties  in 
the  state.  This  will  be  only  in  a  general  way,  answering  in  a  certain 
measure  such  (|uestions  as:  What  is  the  program  of  the  churches  in 
their  respective  communities?  What  progress  has  been  made  in 
religious  education?  Is  there  a  tendency  toward  overchurching? 
What  neglected  groups  are  there?  What  physical  equipment  have 
the  churches? 

PHYSICAL  AND  HISTORICAL 

This  county  has  both  upland-prairie  and  river-bottom  lands. 
The  former  are,  generally,  rich  clay  loams  of  a  dark  colour,  red  pre- 
dominating. The  bottom-lands  are  a  black,  sandy  loam,  and  the 
intermediate  lands  or  second  bottoms  (small  in  area  wdien  compared 
to  the  others)  show  a  rich,  deep,  black  loam,  containing  very  little 
sand.  The  county  is  crossed  by  the  Arkansas,  Little  Arkansas  and 
Minnescah  Rivers  and  Cowskin  Creek.  None  of  these  streams  is 
navigable.  Along  each  is  found  some  woodland,  and  except  for  this 
small  amount  and  the  trees  planted  close  to  the  houses  and  barns 
for  protection  against  storm,  the  county  has  no  forest  land.  The 
surface  of  the  land  is  level  or  gently  rolling,  and  one  covers  gre^.t 
distances  with  an  automobile  on  the  excellent  roads  in  short  spaces 
of  time.  Automobilists  from  the  city  frequently  drive  fifty  miles 
in  the  evening.  The  climate  is  very  healthful :  Sedgwick  can  build 
its  sanatorium  at  home.  The  country  is  spared  both  the  rigours  of 
haril  winter  and  extreme  heat  in  summer. 

The  history  of  Sedgwick  County,  including  Wichita,  has  more 
than  the  ordinary  touch  of  romance.  In  "Folks,"  that  remarkable 
series  of  "miniature"  character  studies,  Victor  Murdock  has  written 
the  romantic  side  of  the  development  of  the  city.  Throughout  the 
narrative  of  the  building  of  the  city,  there  appear  interesting  side- 
lights on  the  farms  round  about.  The  men  and  women  who,  years 
ago,  poured  into  this  section  of  Kansas  came  for  one  purpose — to 
build  an  empire.  Those  who  settled  in  Wichita,  under  the  guidance 
of  brave  and  ins])iring  leaders,  became  ])ossessed  of  but  one  pur- 
pose and  idea — to  build  a  city.  Thev  "boosted"  and  waited.  .And, 
unlike  the  people  of  most  small  towns,  who  only  dream  of  tall  buikl- 
ings.  stirring  enter])rises.  wide  avenues  and  ])aved  streets,  those  who 
lived  in  Wichita  succeeded.  Their  sjiirit  was  marvellous.  Hardships 
and  sacrifices  were  undergone  willingly.   Men  were  so  busily  engaged 

It 


INTRODUCING  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

boosting  their  city,  writing  articles  in  its  praise,  advertising,  making 
speeches,  that  they  made  no  personal  investments  and  died  poor 
themselves  while  others  prospered.     But  the  city  was  built. 

An  historical  sketch  recently  published  in  the  Wichita  "Beacon" 
sketches  the  early  events  of  the  settlement  and  pictures  the  result : 

"On  Du  Pratz's  map  of  Louisiana,  published  in  1757,  at  the 
junction  of  the  Big  and  Little  Arkansas  Rivers  is  marked  *A  Gold 
Mine.' 

"In  1836  Jesse  Chisholm,  a  half-breed  Cherokee  Indian  for 
whom  a  trail  and  a  creek  have  been  named,  guided  a  party  from 
Arkansas  in  search  of  buried  treasure. 

"In  1869,  just  fifty  years  ago,  the  peaceful  and  kindly  Wichita 
Indians  moved  on  from  their  camps  at  this  place,  where  the  Little 
River — Xe  Shutsa  Shinka — empties  into  the  Big  Arkansas — Ne 
vShutsa — and  the  Wichita  of  the  white  man  was  born. 

"Now,  after  the  passing  of  fifty  years,  the  gold  mine  is  here. 
A  magnificent  city  of  mills  and  banks  and  factories,  and  skyscrapers 
and  homes,  made  possible  by  the  fabulous  wealth  of  agriculture  and 
cattle  and  oil  which  surrounds  it,  rises  to  dwarf  even  the  most  rosy 
dreams  of  the  pioneers.  When  Moke-to-ve-to,  Oh-has-tee,  Oh-hah- 
mah-hah  and  other  chiefs  squatted  around  the  council  fire  and  signed 
the  treaty  whereby  the  white  men  acquired  rights  to  the  country 
about  Wichita,  the  Indians  were  indeed  yielding  a  gold  mine  holding 
riches  to  exceed  the  wildest  fancies  of  the  Incas. 

"Fifty  years  ago  a  few  venturesome  white  men  camped  in  the 
forested  bends  of  the  Little  River  near  its  mouth  and  began  to  trade 
calico,  beads,  sugar,  tobacco  and  coffee  for  buffalo  and  coyote  hides. 
They  named  their  little  village  after  the  Wichita  Indians.  'Scattered 
Lodges'  is  the  meaning,  and  'Scattered  Lodges'  may  be  a  truthful 
description  for  good  and  all,  since  the  modern  tendency  is  to  reach 
far  out  in  the  quiet  by-ways  in  building  homes  for  city  dwellers." 

In  the  early  days  of  its  history,  this  settlement  on  the  prairie  was 
a  town  of  the  first  dimension,  most  of  it  being  strung  along  Main 
•  Street.  Then  it  graduated  to  a  city  of  the  second  dimension : 
Douglas  Street  was  developed  beside  Main,  and  "^Vlain  an'  Douglas" 
became  the  centre  of  its  life.  Now  in  the  past  two  decades  a  city 
of  the  third  dimension  has  come :  In  the  neighbourhood  of  "Main  an' 
Douglas"  are  the  tall  hotel,  bank  and  department  store  buildings,  the 
massive  forum  and  exposition  building,  etc.  Wichita  has  grown 
also  in  height. 

Near  all  of  this,  very  near  to  the  development  of  the  citv.  some- 
what excluded,  yet  looking  on  with  much  interest,  lived  the  farmers 

15 


SURVEY  OF  SEDC.W  l(  K   (OUNTY.  KANSAS 

of  Sc(li,^wick  Count}-.  'I'hcv  settled  widely  scattered  farms,  took 
l)ii^  mortgages,  ran  heav\-  risks,  worked  long  days.  Some  lost  out 
in  the  struggle,  but  more  won.  After  a  few  decades  they  became 
])rosperous  and  began  to  retire.  Because  of  the  homes  the  retired 
farmers  built  there,  the  village  grew.  Great  numbers  came  to  live 
in  the  homes  along  the  wide,  long,  .shaded  streets  of  the  city  which 
their  grain  and  cattle  had  hel])ed  to  make  prosperous  and  famous. 

Victor  Murdock  closes  "Folks"  with  an  account  of  "The 
1%'u-mer,"  stating  that  his  narrative  of  the  city  would  not  be  com- 
plete without  it.  One  reviewer  has  pointed  out  that  he  has  given 
us  merely  the  kind  of  farmer  the  average  city  dweller  wants  to 
see — content  in  every  respect,  working  hard,  resigned  to  the  fact 
that  he  must  delve  while  the  people  of  the  city  luiild,  not  realising 
that  the  city  is  using  in  its  building  some  of  the  fruits  of  his  long 
hours  of  toil,  l^erhaps  INIurdock  has  not  described  the  farmer  as 
he  really  is,  but  only  his  ideal  of  what  a  farmer  ought  to  be.  Be 
that  as  it  may,  a  very  different  kind  of  farmer  lives  in  Sedgwick 
today :  he  knows  more  about  the  city,  resents  certain  things  about 
it,  is  rather  discontented,  more  alert  and  more  inteUigent  than  his 
forebears,  and  engaged  in  endeavouring  to  solve  what  problems  re- 
main unsolved  in  the  building  of  "his  empire." 

The  "gold  mines"  which  take  the  form  of  cattle,  grain,  wonder- 
ful climate,  favourable  situation,  railroad  development,  have  all  con- 
tributed in  attracting  people  from  other  i)arts  of  the  country  to  Sedg- 
wick and  Wichita.  There  were  and  are  no  racial  or  denominational 
groups,  except  the  Germans  in  the  western  part  of  the  coimty.  The 
larger  part  of  the  population  came  from  Indiana  and  Ohio,  while 
some  of  the  earliest  came  from  Pennsylvania  and  Xew  England. 
There  is  still  a  "Buckeye"  organisation  which  meets  once  a  year. 

The  growth  of  the  population  of  the  city  and  county  during  the 
last  fiftv  vears  is  shown  as  follows: 


iSSo 

rSoo 

7000 

IQTO 

lOJO 

Entire  Coiintv  .  . 

-.    18.573 

43,626 

44.037 

73.095 

92.234 

Rural '. . . . 

.  .    13,662 

IQ.773 

19,366 

20,645 

20,017 

City  

..    4.gii 

23.853 

24,671 

52.-150 

72.217 

These  figures  reveal  a  steady  rural  increase  down  to  tqto,  then 
there  was  a  slight  decrease  for  the  last  decade.  In  six  communities, 
from  twenty-five  to  fifty  per  cent  of  the  people  have  lived  in  the 
])lace  for  fifteen  years,  or  over;  in  eleven  communities  from  fifty  to 
seventy-five  per  cent ;  in  one,  ninety-five  per  cent  and  in  one  only 
ten  per  cent. 

There  are  no  "New  Americans"  in  tlic  rural  sections  of  Sedg- 

ir; 


INTRODUCING  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

wick  County,  with  the  exception  of  approximately  one  hundred 
Mexicans,  who  Hve  in  the  various  villages  and  work,  mostly,  as 
section  hands  on  the  railroads.  While  "migrants  of  the  less  migra- 
tory type."  still  these  men  are  hard  to  reach,  teach  and  assimilate. 
At  any  rate  the  communities  have  made  virtually  no  move  in  regard 
to  them.  The  Mexicans  live  in  cars  or  bunks  along  the  railroads. 
Of  the  older  immigration  from  Northern  Europe,  chiefly  German, 
have  come  12.6  per  cent  of  the  farm  owners  of  the  county.  These  live 
in  compact  communities  of  their  own.  They  are  thrifty  farmers,  good 
citizens,  breaking  away  slowly  from  the  use  of  their  native  language, 
and  living  too  exclusively.  Blame  for  the  slowness  in  bringing  more 
contacts  and  introducing  a  larger  cordiality  into  the  relations  of  these 
people  rests  partly  on  themselves  and  partly  on  the  natives. 


17 


Chapter  II 
ECONOMIC  CHARACTERISTICS 

CO^I PARED  with  most  rural  counties  in  America,  and  com- 
])arecl  with  the  less  favoured  sections  of  the  Prairie  states,  the 
rural  communities  of  Sedgwick  are  very  i)rospcrous.  In 
1920,  the  County  Assessor's  figure  for  real  estate  value  of  the 
county  (excluding  the  city  of  Wichita)  was  $54,814,912.  Personal 
property  for  the  same  area  totalled  $12,000,000  in  value.  In  1921, 
however,  after  the  drop  in  the  price  of  farm  products  had  been 
seriously  felt,  the  assessor  estimated,  on  the  basis  of  incomplete  re- 
turns, that  the  value  of  personal  property  outside  of  \\'ichita  would 
be  $3,000,000  less.  In  contrast,  he  estimated  that  that  of  Wichita, 
totalling  $33,000,000  in  1920,  would  remain  the  same  for  192 1. 

Agriculfitral 

In  Sedgwick  the  farms  are  mostly  quarter  sections — 160  acres. 
Practicall)'  the  entire  county  is  under  cultivation.  In  1920  there 
were  3.346  farms;  in  1910,  3,434.  Though  Sedgwick  is  popularly 
known  for  its  wheat,  more  acreage  is  given  to  corn.  This  is  due  to 
the  large  area  of  river-bottom  and  "intermediate"  lands.  In  1910, 
112,933  acres  were  given  over  to  the  cultivation  of  winter  wheat, 
176.698  acres  to  corn,  40.827  acres  to  oats,  25,719  to  alfalfa.  River- 
bottom  lands  earn  the  larger  income.  In  the  spring  of  192 1  they 
sold  for  about  $200  per  acre ;  while  the  best  uplands  brought  about 
$50  less. 

During  the  last  ten  years  the  number  of  dairy  cattle  has  been 
constantly  increasing,  while  the  numl)er  of  sheep  appears  to  have 
decreased.  In  1920,  the  number  of  dairy  cattle  on  farms  was  15,736, 
according  to  the  assessor's  figures,  and  other  cattle  of  farms,  mostly 
for  fattening,  numbered  15.471.  The  demand  of  Wichita  for  milk 
has  rendered  dairying  more  jwpular.  The  leaders  of  the  Farm 
Bureau,  and  esjK'cially  their  employed  agent,  have  been  constantly 
striving  to  secure  heavier  stocked  farms,  and  a  greater  diversifica- 
tion of  grain-crops.  Generally  speaking,  the  native  farmers  are 
following  instructions.     The  foreign  born,  however,  have  not  alfili- 

18 


ECONOMIC  CHARACTERISTICS 

ated  with  the  Farm  Bureau  to  any  apprecialjle  extent:  they  still  de- 
pend mostly  on  wheat,  and  stock  their  farms  lightly. 

Ozvncrship  and  Tenantry 

Since   1910  owners  to  a  considerable  extent   have   retired   from 

their  farms  and  taken  up  other  occupations  in  the  cities.     In  iqio, 

more  acres  were  cultivated  by   farm  owners:  in   1920,  the  tenants 

tilled  the  greater  acreage.     The  figures  follow : 

igio  n)Jo 

Acreage  operated  by  renters    267,900  3i3.,^S7 

Acreage  operated  by  owners    333.559  246,817 

Ten  years  ago  55.2  per  cent  of  the  farmers  operated  their  own 
farms.  In  1920  the  county  assessors'  figures  show  the  proportion  of 
tenantry  considerably  to  have  increased.  Today  only  44  per  cent  of 
the  farms  are  oi)erated  by  owners. 

FariJi  Labour 

A  great  wheat  county  like  Sedgwick  needs  seasonal  help  for 
gathering  the  harvest.  About  2,500  harvest-hands  come  every  sum- 
mer. Half  of  these  stay  from  ten  days  to  two  weeks,  while  half  are 
usually  retained  for  about  two  months  to  do  work  incidental  to 
harvest.  During  1920,  and  for  a  few  years  previous,  $6.00  per  day 
and  board  was  an  ordinary  wage  for  this  help.  In  1921  no  wage 
scale  was  agreed  upon.  The  best  opinion  held  that  in  all  probability 
a  fifty  per  cent  reduction  had  been  made.  Up  to  1920  the  farmers 
had  not  enough  all-year-round  help.  In  1921  they  hired  very  little, 
and  there  was  a  surplus  of  men  for  farm  work. 

Great  numbers  of  migrant  harvest  hands  pass  through  Wichita 
on  their  way  to  smaller  cities  and  villages.  The  Sedgwick  House 
furnishes  room  and  board  at  very  reasonable  rates,  and  the  employ- 
ment agencies  of  the  city  render  valuable  service.  Possibly  welfare 
work  on  a  larger  scale  could  be  undertaken,  though  the  men  stay  for 
very  short  periods.  A  greater  need  for  welfare  work  exists  in  the 
towns  and  villages  where  the  men  must  wait  for  employment,  and 
spend  sometimes  several  days  in  idleness. 

Fall  in  Prices  of  Fanii-Products 

Farmers  of  Sedgwick  felt  the  1921  drop  in  prices  of  farm  prod- 
ucts as  sharply  as  any  county  on  the  Prairie.  When  wheat  drops 
from  two  dollars  and  twenty  cents  to  one  dollar  and  five  cents  a 
bushel  within  a  year,  dissatisfaction  all  around  is  to  be  expected. 
Wheat  moved  slowly  from  farm  to  market  in  the  spring  of  1921, 
though  there  was  a  fairly  large  hold-over  in  the  hands  of  the  farmer. 

19 


SURVEY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY,  KANSAS 

This  was  somewhat  due  to  the  agitation  set  on  foot  to  hold  out  for 
three-dollar  wheat,  begun  in  the  fall  of  1920,  and  continued  until 
the  spring  of  the  following  year,  when  there  was  no  longer  any  hope 
of  gaining  any  advantage  in  holding.  Then  followed  a  good  deal  of 
disgruntled  selling,  from  necessity.  On  the  wliole,  the  Sedgwick 
County  farmer  was  in  no  happy  mood  as  he  prepared  for  another 
harvest. 

Co-op  era  t  i:  ■<'  Organisa  t  lo  >is 

In  the  opinion  of  well-informed  people,  the  farmers  now  sell 
between  sixty  and  seventy-five  per  cent  of  the  wheat  of  the  county 
through  their  own  co-operative  elevators.  During  the  last  ten  years 
especially  has  there  been  a  great  develo])ment  of  co-operative  market- 
ing. There  are  twenty-three  co-operative  elevators  for  shipping 
grain.  These  elevators  also  usually  handle  feed  and  coal.  Every 
community  in  the  county  has  at  least  one  elevator,  nm  by  the 
farmers.  The  privately  owned  elevators  have,  of  course,  not  dis- 
appeared, but  do  business  in  competition  with  those  owned  by  the 
farmers.  Each  of  these  co-o]ierative  elevators  has  a  full-time  man- 
ager, all  of  them  are  financed  by  selling  of  stock,  and  up  to  the 
spring  of  1920  practically  all  showed  a  profit.  They  are  in  the 
main  "one  man  one  vote"  organisations.  There  has  been  no  fail- 
ure of  a  co-operative  organisation  in  Sedgwick  County.  The  real 
test  of  these  organisations  came  in  the  summer  of  1920.  The  year 
was  one  of  deficits  for  many  of  the  companies,  yet  while  the  farmers 
are  not  altogether  satisfied  with  their  ventures,  there  has  been  no 
serious  talk  of  abandoning  any  of  them.  Moreover,  the  rural  banks 
have  played  square  with  the  co-operatives  as  with  other  organisa- 
tions in  their  communities.  In  one  community  the  farmers  have 
organised  their  own  hardware  store. 

In  1920  the  Farm  Bureau  organised  a  wool  pool,  whereby  the 
farmers  marketed  co-operatively  35,000  pounds  of  wool.  Some  of 
this  was  brought  in  from  the  farms  of  surrotinding  comities,  because 
their  Farm  Bureaus  had  no  pool.  The  tremendous  drop  in  the  price 
of  wool  made  marketing  of  this  commodity  very  difificult  and  though 
local  handling  expense  was  saved,  the  pool  was  far  from  being  a 
profitable  undertaking.  In  the  spring  of  1921,  when  this  survey  was 
being  made,  the  farmers'  income  from  1920  wool  had  not  been  paid 
off,  although  they  were  again  ready  to  shear  sheeix  Vet  they  went 
about  it  rather  good-naturedly,  considering  that  there  had  l)een  no 
actual  return  from  their  work  of  the  previous  year. 

An  interesting  venture  in  co-operation  between  the   farmer  and 

20 


ECONOMIC  CHARACTERISTICS 

the  city  consumer  has  taken  place  in  the  vicinity  of  Wichita.  There 
had  been  a  good  deal  of  agitation  in  Wichita  for  clean  milk.  A 
group  of  dairymen  determined  to  supply  it,  and  also  to  secure  for 
themselves  some  of  the  profits  being  secured  by  the  city  milk  dis- 
tributor. They  formed  a  company,  sold  $20,000  worth  of  stock,  put 
up  a  pasteurising  plant  of  their  own.  and  in  one  day  secured  enough 
orders   from   city  consumers    for   all   the  milk  they   could  produce. 

Farm  and  Home  Equipment 

There  are  approxnnately  362  silos  and  392  tractors  used  on  the 
'?,346   farms   in  the   county.     This  means  one   silo   and   tractor  to 


EVERY   COMMUNITY    HAS   AT  LEAST   ONE    CO-OPERATIVE    GRAIN    ELEVATOR 

every  nine  farms.  Fully  three-fourths  of  the  farms  of  the  county 
have  automobiles  and  other  power  machinery  for  farm  work. 
Fully  this  proportion  also  have  telephones  in  their  homes,  but  less 
than  ten  per  cent  have  electric  lights  or  running  water  in  the  homes. 
Machinery  is  used  to  lighten  the  work  of  the  barn,  but  not  as  yet 
that  of  the  kitchen. 

Rainfall  and  Irrigation 

The  rainfall  in  the  south-central  part  of  Kansas  is  just  too 
scant  for  the  highest  production  of  crops.  The  County  Agricultural 
Agent,  in  co-operation  with  the  State  College  of  Agriculture,  has 
been  experimenting  with  irrigation   for  corn,  and  better  yields  are 

21 


SURVKV  OF  SEDCaVICK  COUNTY.  KANSAS 

the  result.  At  the  present  time  irrigation  is  projected  on  a  very 
small  scale,  bin  rliere  is  no  douhl  that  its  wider  use  would  greatly 
increase  yields  of  crops  in  this  area. 

I-anii  lUircan 

The  greatest  influence  for  better  agricultural  methods  in  Sedg- 
wick County  has  been  the  Farm  Bureau,  working  through  its  em- 
ployed agent,  a  man  who  has  had  a  wider  experience  in  this  work 
than  any  other  agent  in  the  State  of  Kansas.  The  Farm  Bureau  now 
has  1,113  loyal  members  and  the  dues  are  seven  dollars  and  fifty 
cents  per  year.  The  work  of  the  Agent  has  ])een  mainly  with  indi- 
vidual farmers.  He  had  no  part  in  the  organisation  of  the  co-opera- 
tive marketing  organisations,  because  they  were  in  existence  before 
he  began  his  work.  On  account  of  the  unusual  marketing  condi- 
tions during  the  past  year  he  has,  however,  given  more  attention 
through  meetings  and  personal  interviews  to  the  matter  of  marketing 
grain,  live  stock  and  wool.  A  few  kaffir-corn  and  poultry  clul)s 
ha\e  been  organised.  The  Farm  Bureau  has  also  carried  through  a 
tul)ercular  test  for  all  the  cows,  the  expense  being  met  by  Federal 
and  State  appropriations.  Other  phases  of  the  work  have  been 
spraying  demonstrations,  plowing  tests,  a  farm-bureau  picnic,  nu- 
merous articles  for  all  local  newspapers  and  the  "Monthly  News  Let- 
ter" which  goes  to  the  Farm  Bureau  members. 

TJic  Part  of  IVicJiita  in  Agricultural  Life 

Wv.  have  already  observed  how  the  Sedgwick  County  farmer 
looked  on  interestedly  while  W'ichita  was  being  built.  His  grain 
and  cattle  helped  to  make  it  famous,  but  on  the  whole  he  had  a 
rather  detached  relation  to  the  builders.  From  it  he  obtained  some 
money  in  the  form  of  loans,  and  there  he  sold  his  crops.  When  he 
found  the  farm  a  failure,  or  not  to  his  liking,  he  usually  went  to  the 
cit}'  for  other  em])loyment.  Many  who  saved  enough  retired.  Today 
W'icliita  is  said  to  be  "full  of"  retired  farmers.  This  means  that  the 
city  has  taken  population  from  the  country,  but  the  fact  was  not 
noticeable  until  within  the  last  decade. 

Let  us  briefly  \iew  the  cil\-  of  W'ichiia  today,  and  then  consider 
its  present  relation  to  the  surrounding  countryside.  In  1869  it 
was  a  collection  of  log  houses.  In  1880  its  population  was  slightly 
over  4,000;  now  it  has  72,000  inhabitants.  It  is  the  biggest  "job- 
bing city"  in  Kansas.  In  this  capacity  it  has  a  large  trade  area,  and 
serves  the  dealers  of  smaller  cities,  towns  and  villages  within  a 
radius  of  about  one  himdred  miles  to  the  north  and  cast,  and  a  much 

22 


ECONOMIC  CHARACTERISTICS 

greater  distance  to  the  west  and  south.  It  is  the  largest  tractor  and 
implement  centre  in  the  United  States,  the  largest  broom  corn  mar- 
ket in  the  world,  the  first  city  in  Kansas  in  bank  clearings,  deposits 
and  postoffice  receipts,  the  second  largest  live-stock  market  and  pack- 
ing centre  in  the  State.  Over  1,000,000  head  of  live  stock  were 
received  at  the  Wichita  Union  Stock  Yards  in  19 18.  The  one  hun- 
dred counties  in  Kansas  and  Oklahoma  nearest  to  Wichita  pro- 
duced over  100,000,000  bushels  of  winter  wheat  in  1919,  with  the 
result  that  the  city  is  a  great  milling  centre.  The  Wichita  Board  of 
Trade  did  a  cash  grain  business  of  more  than  $150,000,000  a  year 
up  to  1920. 

If  you  draw  a  circle  with  a  radius  of  fifty  miles  around  Wichita, 
it  will  embrace  eight  great  oil  and  gas  producing  counties ;  a  circle 
with  a  radius  of  150  miles  includes  thirty-six  counties  producing 
oil,  gas,  lead,  zinc,  coal  and  other  minerals,  with  an  average  annual 
production  of  more  than  $12,000,000  per  county.  The  well  known 
El  Dorado  and  Augusta  oil-fields  are  in  Butler  County  within  twelve 
miles  of  the  city.  It  is  asserted  that  200  oil  companies  have  offices 
in  Wichita.  Annual  building  permits  increased  in  value  from  $243.- 
250  in  1900  to  $4,849,831  in  1919.     Industries  are  well  diversiiied. 

In  Wichita  the  immediate  countryside  has  a  shipping  point  for 
produce  to  still  larger  centres.  The  farmer  sells  his  wheat  to  the 
local  private  or  co-operative  elevator,  which  in  turn  sells  to  a  city 
broker.  All  live  stock  that  is  sold  passes  through  Wichita,  being 
sold  by  the  farmer  or  local  dealer  to  the  handler  in  the  city.  Again, 
all  the  "feeders"  that  farmers  buy  from  western  points  for  fat- 
tening are  bought  from  the  dealer  in  the  citv.  Wichita  has  its 
commission  houses  which  buy  food  and  sell  to  the  dealers  in  the 
towns,  villages  and  small  communities  round  about. 

No  active  opposition  toward  co-operatives  on  the  part  of  those  in 
the  city  handling  farm  products  is  evident,  but  the  country  looks 
with  some  suspicion  on  the  methods  of  handling  its  products  after 
they  leave  the  country  station.  Of  course,  the  development  of 
merely  local  co-operatives  has  not  disturbed  the  Board  of  Trade. 
But  the  development  of  "integrated"  marketing  on  the  part  of  the 
grain  growers,  whereby  the  local  co-operative  may  sell  to  its  own 
agency  at  the  great  terminal  centres,  is  causing  active  opposition 
from  Boards  of  Trade.  "War  Funds"  are  being  raised  throughout 
the  country  to  fight  such  action. 

Wichita  buys  up  all  the  fruit,  milk,  potatoes  and  vegetables  raised 
in   its   immediate   locality.      Poultry  products   are   brought   in    from 

23 


SURVEY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY,  KANSAS 

practically  every  community  in  the  county.  The  city  could  use 
more  fruit,  garden  vegetables  and  potatoes — especially  the  latter — 
than  are  locally  grown.  The  produce  sold  to  the  city  goes  either 
to  the  commission  men  or  is  sold  from  house  to  house  by  the  indi- 
vidual farmer.  There  is  no  organised  market,  or  curb  market,  to 
which  the  farmers  may  bring  produce  and  sell  to  the  consumer. 
The  market  in  the  Forum  Building  is  simply  a  ])lace  where  city 
dealers  sell  produce  which  they  have  bought  from  farmers  or  from 
commission  men.  This  means  a  higher  cost  of  these  foods  to  the 
city  consumer,  and  a  lower  cost  to  the  producer.  There  seems  to  be 
need  in  Wichita  for  a  better  market. 


li  ORCHARD   NEAR   WICHITA 


Beside  having  twenty-five  local  banks  and  trust  companies, 
Wichita  is  the  home  of  one  of  the  Federal  Farm  Loan  Banks  with 
the  states  of  Kansas,  Oklahoma,  Colorado  and  New  Mexico  as  its 
territory.  The  h^arni  Loan  Bank  has  a  total  capital  stock  of  $2,200,- 
175.  It  loans  money  to  associations  of  farmers,  giving  them  the 
opportunity  of  getting  money  for  mortgages  from  the  Federal  gov- 
ernment, allowing  a  lower  than  current  rate  of  interest,  and  long- 
time payments.  Inhere  is  no  such  association  in  Sedgwick  Comity. 
Eight  of  the  Wichita  banks  carry  most  of  the  farmers'  loans  in  addi 
tion  to  those  carried  by  the  country  lianks.  Within  forty  or  bft\- 
miles,  ])eople  from  villages,  towns  and  small  communities  come 
more  or  less  habitually  to  the  city,  especially  to  the  department 
stores.  It  is  difficult  to  determine,  in  so  large  a  city  as  Wichita 
(because  of  the  shoppers  from  "satellite  cities,"  as  well  as  from  the 

24 


ECONOMIC  CHARACTERISTICS 

farms),  the  proportion  of  the  total  business  and  trade  which  comes 
from  farmers. 

In  economic  Hfe.  rural  and  urban  people  are  interdependent. 
The  city  admits  that  agriculture  is  the  backbone  of  its  prosperity, 
while  the  farmer  needs  the  manufactures  which  come  from  the  city. 
And  he  has  needed  its  marketing  facilities,  which  are.  however,  in 
private  hands.  The  big  question  the  farmer  is  asking  today  is 
whether  he  can  supplant  these  marketing  agencies  with  organisa- 
tions of  his  own?  In  his  ability  to  answer  this  question  affirma- 
tively lies  the  means  for  effecting,  in  the  near  future,  a  radical 
change  in  the  economic  relations  of  the  city  and  the  surrounding 
countryside.  On  page  21  is  given  an  example  of  the  co-operation 
between  the  dairymen  and  the  city  milk  consumer  brought  about  in 
Wichita  on  the  initiative  of  the  former.  The  grower  of  grain  wants 
to  get  close  to  the  miller  and  exporter — or  he  may  even  build  an 
export  agency  of  his  own. 

NON-AGRICULTURAL  RESOURCES 

A  few  miles  beyond  the  corporate  limits  of  Wichita  are  a  few 
oil  wells  not  extensively  developed.  Those  who  are  interested  in 
agricultural  development  really  hope  no  oil  will  be  discovered  in  the 
county  because  of  the  havoc  it  plays  with  farming.  Other  than  agri- 
cultural pursuits  in  Sedgwick  are  confined  to  storekeeping.  banking 
and  professional  work.  The  villages,  made  up  almost  entirely  of 
retired  farmers,  promote  no  manufacturing  at  all.  The  number  of 
people  employed  in  pursuits  other  than  farming  probably  does  not 
exceed  five  hundred  heads  of  families. 

TRANSPORTATION 

Wichita  is  one  of  the  large  railroad  centres  of  the  Prairie  states. 
Six  railroads  centre  here,  connecting  every  community  in  the  county. 
There  is  also  the  interurban  trolley  which  runs  from  Wichita  through 
the  northern  part  of  Sedgwick  to  Hutchinson  in  Reno  Countv,  and 
Newton  in  Harvey  County.  Railroad  schedules  are  arranged  pri- 
marily for  freight  and  express  transportation,  but  the  people  of 
Sedgwick  County  have  fair  schedules  for  passenger  travel,  in  and 
out  of  Wichita. 

The  county  seat  is  the  hub  of  a  system  of  good  highways  which 
are  being  constantly  improved.  The  constantly  increasing  use  of 
motor  trucks  and  automobiles  plays  a  big  part  in  the  development  of 
better  roads.  The  total  road  mileage  of  the  county,  according  to 
the   figures   of    the   county    engineer,    is    1.959   miles,    of    which   20 

25 


SURVEY  or  SKDGWKK  COUNTY.   KANSAS 

miles  are  hard  surface.  I-^ederal-aid  roads,  188  miles  iin])roved  county 
roads,  876  miles  improved  hy  the  townships,  and  875  un<;[raded. 
For  the  last  fiscal  }ear  $85,410  were  expended  hy  the  county  for  new 
roads  and  repairs;  $47,985  for  hridges  and  culverts.  I""or  new  work 
and  repairs  on  township  roads  $119,662  were  s]XMit.  Plans  are  now 
under  way  for  improvinj;-  the  "Cannonhall  Road"  which  will  give 
Sedgwick  County  a  thirty-mile,  hard  surfaced  road  straight  across 
the  county,  running  east  and  west.  The  impro\ements  on  this  road 
will  cost  $15,000  per  mile. 


2G 


Chapter  III 
THE  MAKING  OF  THE  RURAL  COMMUNITY 

IN  the  hamlets,  villages  and  towns  of  Sedgwick  are  located  the 
stores:  grocery,  general,  implement,  hardware.  Here  are  the 
large  majority  of  high  schools,  hanks,  garages  and  grain  ele- 
vators. Here  too  are  many  of  the  churches.  The  farmer  trades  at 
the  village  store,  garage  and  grain  elevator.  Thus  every  village 
has  its  own  surrounding  group  of  farmers.  Within  the  area  people 
know  one  another  fairly  well.  Here  are  carried  on  prohahly  more 
than  90  per  cent  of  the  activities  of  the  average  individual  in  the 
group. 

The  map  on  page  39  divides  these  groups  as  nearly  as  it  is 
possible  to  divide  them.  Their  limits  run  irregularly ;  in  fact,  when 
travelling  from  one  village  to  another,  one  sees  a  group  of  farmers 
who  go  to  both  places  for  their  activities.  This  is  the  so-called 
neutral  strip  or  territory.  This  irregularity  is  also  shown  by  over- 
lapping community  lines,  in  cases  of  conflict,  by  lines  that  do  not 
join  in  cases  where  no  communities  claim  the  people  in  the  territory. 

Sedgwick  has  nineteen  communities,  excluding  the  rural  area 
nearest  to  Wichita.  Within  that  area  are  several  small  groups, 
which  are  so  near  to  the  city  that  they  have  lost  their  unity.  Their 
churches  are  hard  to  maintain,  because  many  of  the  members  would 
rather  go  regularly  to  the  city  and  most  of  the  purchasing  is  done 
there.  Indeed,  these  areas  may  be  said  to  belong  to  the  city  rather 
than  to  the  rural  population. 

Following  are  descriptions  of  various  communities,  giving  their 
population,  area,  number  of  churches,  and  active  church  mem- 
bership, and  social  organisations,  their  strength  and  influence.  They 
are  presented  with  the  idea  of  giving  a  picture  at  close  range  of  the 
functioning  of  these  small  groups,  the  units  of  the  church  survey. 

ANDALE 

.  This  community  extends  three  miles  north,  ten  miles  west,  four 
and  one-half  south  and  three  and  one-half  east  and  is  situated  on 
the  northwestern  border  of  the  county.  Its  chief  source  of  income 
is  wheat.  The  population  is  720,  of  which  400  reside  in  the  open 
country.     Andale  is  a  community  of  thrifty  farmers  mostly  of  Ger- 

27 


SURVEY  OF  SRIXiWICK  COUNTY,  KANSAS 

man  birth  or  descent.  The  villac^e  is  new  and  attractive,  havinj:;^  l)cen 
rebuilt  after  the  cyclone  which,  live  years  ago,  destroyed  every  build- 
in"-  except  the  church.  Most  of  the  homes  are  bungalows.  Amuse- 
ments are  mainly  furnished  by  the  Roman  Catholic  parochial  school 
which  has  an  enrollment  of  seventy-six  boys  and  eighty-four  girls. 
There  are  three  grain  elevators  in  Andale — two  privately  owned  and 
one  a  farmers'  co-operative  enterprise.  The  large  and  beautiful 
Roman  Catholic  church  is  an  imposing  structure,  and  constitutes 
the  main  organisation  in  the  community.  The  total  Roman  Catholic 
population  is  estimated  at  560 — seventy-eight  per  cent  of  the  popu- 
lation of  the  community.     There  is  no  Protestant  church.     Andale 


BANK    AT    ANDALE 


is  an  example  of  a  homogeneous  community  in  which  most  of  the 
activities  centre  in  the  'church. 


CHENEY 

Here  we  have  a  community  with  a  fairly  large  village,  four 
churches,  and  six  lodges.  It  is  ([uilc  well  organised.  It  lies  on 
the  western  ])ordcr  of  the  county,  and  encloses  an  area  reaching 
eight  miles  north,  four  west,  seven  south  and  two  east.  Wheat  and 
cattle  are  most  profitably  raised.  The  population  is  1,250,  of  whom 
750  live  in  the  village.  Those  of  German  descent  number  about  500. 
The  big  influences  in  Cheney  are  school's  and  churches.  A  Chau- 
tauqua and   a  course  of   lectures   are   supported  by   practically   all 

28 


THE  MAKING  OF  THE  RURAL  COMMUNITY 

groups  in  the  community.  Cheney  has  a  co-operative  grain  elevator, 
and  also  a  co-operative  hardware  store  which  is  the  largest  in  the 
rural  part  of  the  county.  A  weekly  newspaper  is  published  here. 
There  are  four  organised  churches — the  Methodist  Episcopal.  Dis- 
ciples, Reformed  Church  in  the  United  States,  and  Missouri  Synod 
Lutheran.  The  combined  membership  is  690.  All  except  the 
Lutheran  are  located  in  the  village.  The  active  members  of  the 
church  make  up  fifty  per  cent  of  the  population.  Here  community 
life  is  developed  around  a  number  of  organisations  and'  institutions, 
with  a  co-operative  spirit  manifest. 

CLEARWATER 

One  of  the  largest  and  most  progressive  communities  in  Sedg- 
wick County,  Clearwater  is  situated  near  the  centre  of  the  southern 
border  line  and  extends  north  seven  miles,  west  four  and  one-half, 
south  six  and  east  six.  Grain  and  stock  are  its  main  sources  of 
income.  Of  the  total  inhabitants.  800  live  in  the  open  country. 
There  are  twelve  foreign-born  Mexicans  in  the  community.  Clear- 
water has  a  good  Girl  .Scout  troop,  a  bank,  newspaper,  co-operative 
grain  elevator  and  a  number  of  stores.  Other  active  organisations 
are  two  women's  clubs,  four  lodges  and  a  Red  Cross  group.  There 
are  two  small  neighbourhoods  in  the  community.  Six  miles  north 
is  the  hamlet  of  Clonmel  with  a  population  of  about  fifty  and  a 
Roman  Catholic  church  with  a  school  of  twelve  boys  and  eleven 
girls.  Seven  miles  northeast  is  the  small  neighbourhood  of  Bayne- 
ville  having  a  population  of  about  thirty.  The  surrounding  popula- 
tion is  mostly  German  Lutheran  but  there  is  no  church.  The 
Protestant  churches  are  all  in  the  village  proper,  the  ^.lethodist 
Episcopal,  Disciples,  Presbyterians,  Baptists  and  Nazarenes  beinj^ 
represented.  At  the  time  this  survey  was  made,  the  churches  were 
being  served  by  full-time  resident  pastors.  Thirty-two  per  cent  of 
the  population  are  active  members  of  the  five  churches.  Here  again 
we  have  a  progressive  community,  well  organised,  showing  some 
results  of  community  organisation. 

FURLEY 

This  is  a  small  and  somewhat  isolated  community,  situated  in  the 
northeast  corner  of  the  county.  Grain  is  its  chief  product.  There 
are  only  380  inhabitants — eighty  in  the  village,  including  fifteen 
foreign-born  Germans  and  ten  Bohemians.  Farms  here  are  heavily 
stocked  and  sheep  are  largely  kept.     Farmers  have  diversified  their 

29 


SLR\KV   OF   S1•:I)(.^\■1(  K  COL'NTY.  KANSAS 

crops.  The  coinnnuiity  is  a  wvy  (|uict  onr.  Stores  are  small.  The 
schools  and  the  church  arc  thi'  main  inllucnccs  making-  for  pro^n'css. 
There  are  no  other  ori^anisations.  The  only  church  in  hurley  is  a 
Methodist  Episcopal,  located  in  the  hamlet.  Trior  to  1920  it  was 
on  a  circuit  with  Kechi  and  Greenwich,  but  the  Conference  of  that 
year  gave  it  a  resident  pastor,  he  having  also  the  church  at  Green- 
wich. The  outlook  is  reported  as  being  unusuall\-  bright.  As  a 
one-church  community,  Furley  ]iossesses  many  advantages,  but 
there  is  need  for  more  community  activity  and  cjrganisation. 

GARDEN   PLAIN 

In  the  western  part  of  the  county  we  have  Garden  Plain  with  a 
population  of  780,  of  whom  280  are  gathered  together  in  a  thriving 
little  village.  Garden  Plain  has  a  store,  a  co-operative  grain  elevator. 
a  bank  and  a  good  high  school,  with  the  only  separate  gymnasium 
building  in  the  county.  Garden  Plain  extends  five  miles  north,  one 
west,  three  and  one-half  south  and  five  east.  Wheat  is  its  most 
profitable  crop.     Churches  and  schools  lead  in  its  community  life. 

Church  life  in  the  community  is  divided  between  the  Methodist 
F.piscopal  and  the  Roman  Catholic  churches — both  located  in  the 
village.  At  present  the  Methodists  are  fairly  active,  but  the  Roman 
CathoHcs  are  the  stronger.  In  the  northern  part  of  the  community 
(in  the  neighbourhood  of  Aleppo)  St.  Mary's  Roman  Catholic 
church  ministers  to  a  group  of  farmers  living  around  it.  While 
Garden  Plain  has  made  considerable  j)rogress,  the  fact  that  it  is  so 
sharply  divided  along  religious  lines  renders  complete  co-operation 
and  organisation  difficult  and  remote. 

Such  are  some  of  the  outstanding  types  of  communities  in  Sedg- 
wick County.  There  are  others  which,  for  the  nuist  part,  are  active. 
Valley  Center  and  Mount  Hope,  for  instance,  might  have  been  taken 
as  examples  of  large  and  progressive  communities  in  ])lace  of  Clear- 
water and  Cheney.  The  high  schools  at  both  these  ])laces  deserve 
special  mention.  The  township  building  at  Mount  Ilo]ie,  and  the 
e(iui])ment  of  two  of  the  churches  at  Valley  Center  stand  out  con- 
spicuously. Kechi,  too,  is  known  for  its  township  building.  Col- 
wich,  like  Andale,  has  its  imposing  Roman  Catholic  church,  and  a 
])rosperous,  unified,  active  commimity  life.  Every  community  in  the 
county  has  a  co-o])erative  grain  elevator,  while  each  has  some  mem- 
bers of  the  Farm  Bureau.  I'Lvery  conimunity  has  something  distinc- 
tive. 'T'm  proud  to  live  here!"  is  heard  fre(|uently  as  one  visits 
tlie  various  communities.  'J'he  iX'o])le  are  still  in  the  "age  of  achieve- 
ment."    They  have  not  yet  learned  to  look  back;  the  old  spirit  of 

30 


SKDOWICK  COUNTY.  KANSA: 


Bcnllcy 


Turlcy 
r.ardcn  Plain 


Peck  .     .     . 
Scdgmck 
Valley  Ccnler 

Hayaville  (nnghl.orhwMl) 
Wichita  (nifiili 


THE  MAKING  OF  THE  RURAL  COMMUNITY 

the  pioneer  is  not  dead,  and  the  beginnings  of  what  promise  to  be 
significant  developments  in  community  co-operation  and  organisation 
are  clearly  discernible. 

The  table  opposite  lists  the  organisations  and  population  of  every 
community  in  the  county. 


31 


Chapter  IV 
SOCIAL  CHARACTERISTICS 

Till-'  tal)Ie  near  the  end  of  the  ])revious  cliai)ter  .qives  some 
statistics  relating  to  social  organisations  in  the  county  hv  com- 
munities. There  are  other  facts,  however,  which  if  con- 
sidered on  a  county-wide  scale  will  throw  additional  light  on  the 
social  life  of  the  people. 


HIGH   AND  GRADE  SCHOOL,   VALLEY   CENTER 

Schools 

The  schools  of  Sedgwick  are  in  excellent  condition.  The  county 
has  ten  high  schools  all  with  four-year  terms.  I<"roni  these  schools 
eighty  pupils  were  graduated  last  year,  of  whom  lifty-one  were  girls. 
The  number  of  graduates  constantly  increases.  The  county  has  121 
one-teacher  schools.  There  are  also  four  joint  high  schools,  partly 
under  Sedgwick's  control  and  partly  under  the  supervision  of  adjoin- 
ing counties.  These  latter  are  not  included  in  this  report.  Nine 
schools  in  the  county  are  consolidated.  There  is  no  transportation 
by  'bus  ])rovided,  but  when  transportation  is  necessary,  ])arcnts  are 
paid  for  the  expense  involved.    Accredited  domestic  science  is  taught 

32 


SOCIAL  CHARACTERISTICS 

in  eight  of  the  ten  high  schools,  and  agriculture  in  every  school  of 
the  county.  Out  of  a  total  of  271  teachers,  thirty-three  high  school 
teachers  are  college  graduates  and  seven  are  normal  school  gradu- 
ates ;  in  the  one-teacher  schools  are  two  college  graduates,  one 
normal  school  graduate  and  sixty-two  who  have  taken  special  work 
beyond  high  school.  In  the  grade  schools,  without  high  schools,  are 
eight  college  or  normal  school  graduates.  The  county  became  a 
"Barnes  high  school  county"  by  popular  vote  in  1905,  and  adopted 
the  high  standard  involved.  The  County  Superintendent  of  Schools 
has  placed,  at  his  own  expense,  a  framed  "Country  Boy's  Creed"  in 
every  school.    He  states  that  the  drift  to  the  city  is  not  as  noticeable 


AVTOS    OF    SCHOOL    CHILDREN,    AN    ORDINARY    DAY    AT    VALLEY    CENTER 


among  high  school  grades  today  as  it  has  been  during  the  past  five 
or  six  years. 

Eleven  grade  schools  are  known  as  standard  schools.  The  stand- 
ard school  meets  the  requirements  set  forth  on  a  chart  of  thirty- 
two  points  as  standard.  Among  these  requirements  are :  school 
grounds  kept  in  good  condition,  proper  light  and  ventilation,  attrac- 
tive interior  decorations,  sand-table,  sanitary  water  supply,  trees  and 
shrubs  on  grounds.  Only  when  resident  within  five  or  six  miles 
of  the  city  do  high  school  pupils  go  to  Wichita  for  instruction. 
The  state  law  requires  them  to  go  to  the  high  school  within  their 
district,  or  pay  for  their  own  tuition  if  they  go  elsewhere.  This 
ruling  prevents  many  from  taking  advantage  of  the  city  high  school. 

33 


SURVEY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY,  KANSAS 

There   is.   Iiowcvcr,   a    four-year   high   scliool    witliiii   reach   of   the 
boys  and  girls  of  the  county. 

Cltarilics  and  Correction 

There  is  a  great  contrast  in  Sedgwick  County  between  the  num- 
ber of  social  agencies  which  are  at  work  in  the  city  and  the  number 
at  work  in  the  town  and  country  communities.  'I'he  Wichita  Coun- 
cil of  Social  Agencies,  recently  formed,  comi)rises  twenty-four 
organisations  or  county  and  city  departments  and  officials.  Among 
those  which  are  other  than  purely  city  agencies  or  officials  are  the 
County  Children's  Home,  the  Red  Cross  Home  Service,  the  County 
Commissioner  of  the  Poor,  the  County  Matron,  and  two  Probation 
(Officers,  who  work  among  juveniles  only.  On  the  whole,  however, 
when  compared  with  those  of  other  counties,  the  rural  communities 
of  Sedgwick  County  are  very  well  cared  for.  For  the  last  fiscal 
year.  $52,592  was  expended  by  the  county  for  outdoor  relief — 
including  such  items  as  food.  fuel,  clothing,  hospital  care  of  the  sick, 
burial,  rent  and  transportation.  The  County  Detention  Home  for 
Girls  was  established  in  191 8  and  is  supjjorted  by  the  county  under 
the  direction  of  the  County  Matron.  It  fills  a  great  need  but  is 
inadequately  equipped  and  should  make  provision  for  boys  as  well 
as  girls.  The  number  of  girls  cared  for  at  one  time  in  this  home 
is  usually  six  or  seven.  There  are  twenty  one-room  cottages  in  the 
County  Tuberculosis  Sanatorium.  Up  to  two  years  ago  there  was  no 
sanatorium  at  all.  The  number  of  patients  in  the  County  Tuber- 
culosis Sanatorium  ranges  from  four  and  five  up  to  the  full  capacity 
of  twenty.  The  Sanatorium  is  in  the  transitional  stage  i)Ut  enlarge- 
ment is  being  i)lanned. 

The  Wichita  C"hildren's  Home  has  been  in  existence  for  thirty 
years  and  is  supported  by  funds  both  from  state  and  county,  tlie 
county  j)aying  the  larger  share.  There  are  also  funds  from  indi- 
vidual patrons.  For  all  children  ke\A  in  this  home  a  small  charge  is 
made.  Between  seventy  and  eighty  children  are  thus  accommodated. 
The  Red  Cross  Home  Service  does  mainly  city  work,  but  the  out- 
lying sections  are  reached  when  there  is  time  to  expand  and  when 
aid  is  requested  from  rural  districts  through  the  divisional  head- 
(juarters.  The  County  V-dvm  cares  for  forty-eight  people.  This 
farm  of  160  acres  was  recently  stocked  with  jnire-bred  live  stock 
through  the  influence  of  the  Vavm  Rureau.  I'p  to  March.  192 1,  a 
nurse  was  employed  to  do  county  work,  supported  In'  funds  from 
the  State  Tuberculosis  Association.     This  service  has  been  discon- 

34 


SOCIAL  CHARACTERISTICS 

tinned  by  the  state  association  and  will  not  be  taken  up  by  the  county 
at  present.  Annual  health  inspection  of  public  school  pupils  is 
made  by  the  county  physician.  Wichita  physicians  go  into  the 
country  in  answer  to  special  calls.  The  city  meets  a  great  need 
in  Sedgwick  and  surrounding  counties  by  supplying  hospital  service. 

Social  and  Recreational  Life 

Interviews  by  the  surveyor  with  recreation  executives  in  the  city 
of  Wichita  revealed  their  knowledge  of  the  lack  of  recreation 
throughout  the  rural  districts  and  their  possession  of  a  desire  to  be 


HIGH    SCHOOL    GYMNASIUM,    GARDEN    PLAIN 

of  service;  the}-  also  realised  the  handicaps  which  make  this  service 
impossiI)le  at  the  present  time.  The  Boy  Scout  organisation  fur- 
nishes an  illustration  of  this.  The  Scouts  have  an  overhead  organ- 
isation through  the  county,  but  have  only  two  troops  in  cb.urches 
outside  the  city  of  Wichita.  It  is  generally  recognised  that  there 
is  a  striking  contrast  between  tb.e  well  organised  social  and  recrea- 
tional life  of  Wichita  and  the  lack  of  it  in  the  rural  districts.  The 
rural  communities  of  Sedgwick  County,  however,  have  more  rec- 
reational facilities  than  many  other  rural  communities  in  other 
parts  of  the  country.  There  is  a  County  Baseball  League  playing 
Saturday  afternoon  games  with  which  adult  teams  from  eight  of 
the  villages  of  the  county  are  affiliated.  The  county  high  schools 
have  developed  athletics  and  not  only  have  baseball,  but  hold  an 
annual  track  meet  which  was  attended  in  192 1  by  2,500  people. 
Seven  communities  have  moving-picture  houses  and  pool-rooms  are 
reported  in   four   different  communities.     Three  communities   have 

35 


SURVEY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY,  KAxNSAS 

bands,  and  one  has  an  orchestra.  There  are  two  social  ckibs.  I'own- 
ship  buildings  are  located  in  Mount  Hope,  Kechi  and  Delano  town- 
ships. These  were  erected  by  public  funds  and  are  used  for  all 
kinds  of  public  gatherings.  Yet  they  are  not  the  highly  organised 
centres  they  might  be.  The  county  could  use  more  of  them  to  great 
advantage,  especially  if  they  were  equipped  with  gymnasiums.  The 
thirty-eight  lodges  of  Sedgwick  County  aggregate  a  total  of  2,660 
members  with  an  average  membership  of  seventy.  Three  granges 
have  a  total  of  225  members. 

In  spite  of  the  popularity  and  prevalence  of  the  automobile,  the 
people  of  Sedgwick  County  do  not  go,  habitually,  in  large  numbers 
to  Wichita  for  recreation.  They  go  occasionally  for  special  attrac- 
tions, or  for  a  frequent  Saturday  night  at  the  movie.  But  the  recre- 
ation problem  of  the  communities  in  the  county  needs  to  be  con- 
sidered apart  from  the  facilities  offered  by  the  city.  The  rural  com- 
munities feel  the  need  of  recreation  within  their  own  borders,  and 
while  they  welcome  that  of  the  city  occasionally,  they  desire  more 
of  their  own.  The  situation  which  exists  in  the  area  very  close  to 
Wichita  (that  is,  within  five  or  six  miles),  is  an  exception  to  this 
general  statement. 


36 


PART  II 
RELIGIOUS  LIFE  AND  INSTITUTIONS 


Chapter  V 
THE  RELIGIOUS  SITUATION  IN  GENERAL 

THE  church  situation  in  Sedgwick  County  must  be  viewed 
with  the  facts  of  Part  I  of  this  survey  in  mind.  They  fur- 
nish the  background  for  the  whole  discussion.  Kansas  is 
still  a  comparatively  new  country,  with  none  of  the  wealth  of  tra- 
dition possessed  by  some  of  the  eastern  states.  Very  little  written 
history  is  available,  and  the  people's  memories  are  hazy  about  past 
events.  "It  must  have  been  thirty-five  or  forty  years  ago"  is  a 
phrase  one  hears  frequently,  but  there  seems  no  written  available 
record  that  one  can  refer  to.  This  applies  particularly  to  the  his- 
tory of  the  Protestant  churches. 

In  early  days  the  majority  of  the  new  settlers  had  neither  time 
nor  inclination  to  give  to  church  building  which  the  eastern  pioneers 
of  the  seventeenth  century  considered  necessary.  Trading  posts  and 
roads  had  to  be  first  thought  of,  forests  cut  and  the  commercial  side 
of  life  emphasised,  whether  religion  had  any  expression  or  not. 
Churches  were  largely  developed  through  the  efiforts  of  the  mission- 
ary agencies  of  the  various  denominations,  and  the  decade  from  1880 
to  1890  seems  particularly  to  have  been  the  time  of  very  active  occu- 
pation of  fields  by  these  agencies. 

The  church  life  of  Wichita  is  efficiently  organised.  The  city  is 
adequately,  but  not  over-churched.  There  is  a  large  number  of 
prosperous,  growing  congregations,  awake,  facing  their  changing 
problems.  Again,  Wichita  is  a  church-going  city.  One  hears  no 
complaints  in  regard  to  the  decline  of  church  attendance.  Religious 
education  is  well  organised.  At  the  time  of  the  survey  three  churches 
had  full-time  directors  of  religious  education.  Men's  classes  are 
active  and  a  force.  There  is  probably  more  than  the  usual  array  of 
women's  organisations.  Best  of  all,  Wichita  has  a  very  fine  city 
Federation  of  Churches.  Among  other  things,  this  organisation  has 
put  new  vitality  into  the  county  Sunday  School  Association,  co-ordi- 
nated the  efiforts  of  the  city  churches  in  religious  education,  organ- 
ised a  council  of  social  agencies  of  the  city  and  county,  after  a 
complete  survey  had  been  made  by  outside  experts,  and  played  a 
large    part    in    a    commendable    ministry    furnished    the    Mexicans 

S9 


CHURCH    AND  COMMTNITV    MAP, 


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KEY    AND    SYMBOLS 

County   Boundary 

■^^  —  •^  Community    Boundary 

tinj  lixf 

•    Homlct 

^p  Town  -  over  5,000 
D   Church  -Whif« 
B  Church  -Cclored 
Q  Church -Wh.te  with  Pdstori  Residence 

5r>a  Circuit 
■4  Postor-j  Reside 
A  Pastor's   Residen 
B  Abandoned   Chu 
S  Sundoij  School  .. 
IS  5undoij  School  v< 

ice  nifhouf  Church-Wirfe 
ce  without  Church-Colortd 
rch.      a  Inactii-e  Church 
rthout  Church  -White 
Ithout  Church -Colored 
hool    Sidj. 

3  Church -Colored. 

»ith 

Pos 

or's  Rrsjdsncc 

n  Church  uam^  5c 

SEDGWICK    COUNTY,    KANSAS,    I92O. 


SURVEY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY,  KANSAS 

through  a  neighbourhood  house  having  a  full-time  director.  In  the 
church  life  of  the  rest  of  the  county,  too,  which  is  not  so  well  organ- 
ised, the  churches  of  the  city  take  some  part. 

Geographically,  as  well  as  religiously,  the  county  is  divided  be- 
tween Roman  Catholic  and  Protestant.  The  Roman  Catholics  have 
seven  churches,  serving  large  areas  mostly  in  the  western  part  of 
the  county.  There  are  few  Protestants  within  their  parishes.  In 
Colwich,  where  a  Protestant  and  Roman  Catholic  church  once  stood 
side  by  side,  only  a  small  Protestant  Sunday  school  remains.  The 
Catholic  eciuipment  far  surpasses  that  of  the  Protestants ;  so  prob- 
ably does  their  efficiency  of  organisation,  their  ministry,  their  influ- 
ence in  the  communities  and  neighbourhoods  they  serve.  Roman 
Catholic  farmers  all  live  near  their  church.  Where  the  Roman 
Catholic  church  is  located  few  other  community  organisations  are 
developed  because  the  church  provides  opportunities  for  the  exer- 
cise of  the  main  activities.  Roman  Catholic  churcli  life  in  Sedgwick 
is  discussed  in  a  separate  chapter,  after  the  following  discussion  of 
the  Protestant  survey. 

In  the  town  and  county  area  of  Sedgwick  County  are  fifty-three 
active  Protestant  churches.  In  this  survey,  churches  are  classified 
on  the  basis  of  the  following  population  groups : 

1.  Those  in  villages  of  from  250  to  2,500  people.     Twenty-four 

of  the  fifty-three  churches  are  in  this  group. 

2.  Those  in  small  hamlets  of  less  than  250  people  and   in  the 

open  country.     Of  these  there  are  twenty-nine. 

Ten  communities  have  only  open  country  churches,  and  six  have 
only  village  churches.  Two  have  both  village  and  open  country 
churches.  Two  communities  have  no  churches  in  Sedgwick  County, 
but  the  boundaries  of  both  extend  into  adjoining  counties  and  they 
have  churches  there.  There  are  six  open  country  churches  in  neutral 
territory — that  is,  between  the  pull  of  two  communities. 

The  total  rural  population  of  the  county  is  divided  approximately 
into  a  village  population  of  6,517  and  an  open  country  total  of 
13,500.  The  total  of  twenty- four  churches  in  the  villages  represents 
one  church  for  every  271  people.  In  the  open  country  there  is  one 
church  to  every  465  people.  These  figures  evidence  the  noticeable 
tendency  there  is  to  concentrate  churches  in  the  villages. 

NUMBER  AND  DISTRIBUTION   OF   CHURCHES 

Of  the  fifty-three  churches  in  the  county,   the  denominational 

grouping  is  as  follows : 

42 


THE  RELIGIOUS  SITUATION   IN  GENERAL 

jNIethodist    Episcopal 19 

Northern    Baptist    Convention g 

Disciples   of   Christ 5 

Presbyterian  in  U.  S.  A 5 

United   Brethren   5 

Congregational    2 

Nazarene   2 

United   Presbyterian    2 

Lutheran,   Missouri   Synod    2 

Evangelical   Association   i 

Reformed  Church  in  U.  S i 

53 

There  is  a  record  of  four  abandoned  churches.  One,  at  Bayne- 
ville  in  Clearwater  community,  was  originally  a  Union  church.  It 
was  then  turned  over  to  the  Disciples  and  was  rated  as  a  mission. 
Later  it  was  abandoned.  A  Methodist  Episcopal  church  in  the  open 
country  between  Goddard  and  Colwich  was  disbanded  a  year  before 
this  survey  was  taken.  A  Congregational  church  at  Colwich  was 
also  discontinued  four  or  five  years  ago,  through  lack  of  support, 
and  the  Roman  Catholics  bought  the  building  to  use  as  a  parochial 
school.  A  United  Presbyterian  chtirch,  two  miles  west  of  Viola, 
was  a  strong  open  country  church  ten  years  ago.  Subsequently  the 
building  was  sold  to  the  Methodists  of  Anness,  and  moved  to  that 
place. 

THE  TIME  OF   CHURCH   DEVELOPMENT 

The  main  period  of  development  was  prior  to  the  year   1890. 

Since  that  year  church  building  has  slowed  up  considerably,  owing 

to  the  adequate  occupation  of  fields.     Between  1870  and  1890  the 

county  was  the  scene  of  active  missionary  occupation.     Here  are 

the  figures : 

Before   1880   12 

i88o-i8go   26 

1890-1900    9 

1900-1910  2 

1910-1920  4 

53 


43 


Chapter  VI 
EQUIPMENT  AND  1-IXANCE 

EACH  of  the  fifty-three  churches  under  consideration  in  this 
survey  owns  its  building.  The  lirst  buildings  erected  were 
wooden  one-room  structures.  Even  today,  forty-four  con- 
crrcc^ations  have  wooden  buildings,  and  nine  only— all  newer  struc- 
J'^^i-es— have  buildings  of  brick.  The  total  seating  capacity  is  12,560. 
The  main  audience  rooms  of  the  churches  have  a  total  seating 
capacity  of  10,705.  an  average  of  202,  showing  that  the  buildings 
are  all  of  good  size.     The  total  available   seating  capacity   for  all 


.  M.  E.  CHURCH,   l!K\  I  I  I 


I  II  I      iiM.-KdO^r    FRAME    BUILDINGS 


churches  averages  237.  indicating  that  many  of  them  have  extra 
rooms,  for  use  when  occasion  demands.  The  condition  of  the  build- 
ings is  reported  in  six  cases  as  "very  good,"  in  twenty-seven  as 
"good,"  in  seventeen  as  "fair"  and  in  three  as  "poor."  These  divi- 
sions were  made  by  the  surveyor  who  saw  the  various  structures. 
One  church  owns  a  stereopticon,  another  borrows  one  for  occa- 
sional use,  but  no  church  has  a  moving  picture  machine,  and  none 

41. 


EQUIPMENT  AND  FINANCE 

has  any  additional  social  equipment.  Eleven  out  of  twenty-four 
village  churches  are  lighted  by  electricity,  and  four  out  of  twenty- 
nine  open  country  churches.  Of  the  remainder,  six  use  oil  lamps, 
twenty-five  gas  or  acetylene,  and  seven  gasoline. 

Three-fifths  of  the  churches  of  the  county  have  but  one  room. 
In  the  erection  of  new  buildings,  however,  more  rooms  are  being 
included. 

33  churches   are   of   the    usual   one    room   type 

6         "  have    two     rooms 

4        "  "      three 

I  church  has  four 

3  churches  have  five  " 

1  church    has    six  " 

2  churches  have  eight  " 
1  church  has  nine  " 
I  "  "  ten  " 
I       "           "     sixteen  " 

Three  churches  have  both  horse  space  and  parking  sheds  for 
automobiles.  Forty-nine  have  parking  space  only  and  one  has 
neither.  The  horse  has  practically  ceased  "going  to  church"  in 
Sedgwick  County. 

The  following  table  gives  the  value  of  the  church  buildings  in 
the  county,  and  shows  that  the  average  value  of  those  in  the  villages 
is  much  greater  than  those  in  the  open  country : 

Number  Total  Average 

Location                               Buildings  Value  Value 

Village     24  $134,900  $5,621 

Open    Country    28  75,050  2,680 


52  $209,950  $8,301 

Connected  with  the  twenty-four  village  churches  are  eighteen 
parsonages ;  with  the  twenty-nine  churches  in  the  open  country, 
only  eight.  This  illustrates  the  concentration  of  pastors'  residence 
in  villages.  These  twenty-six  parsonages  are  valued  at  $53,750, 
averaging  $2,067  each.  The  average  value  of  the  village  parsonage 
is  $2,267;  that  of  the  open  country  $1,619.  Their  condition  is 
reported  as  follows:  Seventeen  "good,"  eight  "fair,"  one  "poor." 
One  village  church  has  an  additional  building  value  at  $500,  but 
it  is  not  used  for  social  recreational  purposes.  One  village  and 
three  open  country  churches  have  income  yielding  property  with  a 
total  value  of  $3,788.    Of  this  amount,  $3,500  is  held  by  one  church. 

FINANCES 

In  raising  money  slightly  more  than  half  of  the  churches  use 
the  budget  system   for  all  purposes.     Twelve  use  this  system   for 

45 


SL'KVKY  OF  SKI)(;\V1(  K  COUXTV.  KANSAS 

local  expenses  only  and  fourteen  lia\e  no  sysleniatic  method  of 
handling  their  finances.  This  proportion  is  aljout  the  same  in  village 
and  o])en  country.  I'ive  village  and  four  o])en  coimtry  churches 
use  single  weekly  envelopes.  Duplex  enveloi)t's  are  tised  1)_\  eight 
village  and  two  o])en  country  churches,  while  eleven  \illage  and 
twenty-three  open  country  churches  do  not  use  any  system  of 
frequent  regular  ])ayments. 

Of  the  nineteen  churches  using  the  envelope  system,  sixteen 
mrd<e  a  \early  ever\-  memher  canvass,  eleven  heing  in  the  \illages. 
All   the  churches  making  an  annual  every  memher  canvass  in  con- 


M.    E.    PARSONAGE,    CLEARWATER 

nection  with  their  Imdget  and  envelope  system  report  a  higher  per 
capita  contrihution  than  those  which  are  not  so  thoroitgh,  and  seem 
to  he  in  hetter  financial  condition.  The  average  anntial  per  capita 
contrihution  of  the  village  churches  with  hudget  system  for  all 
money  raised  and  every  mcml)er  canvass  is  $26.90. 

The  average  annual  per  capita  contrihution  of  the  village 
churches  without  any  hudget  system  and  an  every  memher  canvass 
is  $12.03. 

The  average  annual  per  capita  contribution  of  the  open  country 
churches  with  budget  s}-stem  for  all  monies  and  an  every  member  can- 
vass is  $25.67. 

The  average  annual  per  capita  contribution  of  the  o]xmi  coimtry 

10 


EQUIPMENT  AND  FINANCE 

churches  without  any  hudget  system  and  an  every  member  canvass 
is  $15.40.     See  Chart  I. 

In  each  village  church  having  a  resident  pastor,  the  rate  of  annual 
per  capita  contribution  is  $24.19;  where  the  pastor  is  non-resident 
it  is  $22.18;  where  there  is  no  pastor,  $8.38.  In  each  open  country 
church  with  a  resident  pastor  the  rate  of  per  capita  giving  is  $39.40; 
where  the  pastor  is  non-resident  it  is  $17.84;  where  there  is  no 
]:)astor,  $16.57.  Iii  the  village  churches  the  highest  giving  is  $64.4(5 
per  member ;  the  lowest  $2.50  per  member.  In  the  open  country 
churches  the  highest  giving  is  $94.65  per  member,  and  the  lowest 


EFFECT    OF    SYSTEM 
IN   CHURCH    FINANCE 

IN  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 

Annual   Amount  Contributed  per  Active  Member 
^2567 


'15.40 


Without  Efficient*         With  Efficient 
Financial  System  Financial  System 

*A  budget  for  oil  money  raised  and 
on  every   member   canvass. 


$4.67  per  member.  On  the  whole,  i)er  capita  giving  increases  with, 
an  increase  of  pastoral  attention,  and  the  use  of  modern,  systematic 
methods. 

Only  two  of  the  fifty-three  churches  in  Sedgwick  County  have 
received  Home  Mission  aid  during  the  past  year.  Both  are  in  the 
open  country.  One  church,  with  a  full  time  resident  minister,  has 
received  $400  for  two  years.  The  small  village  in  which  this  church 
is  located  has  also  another  church  with  a  non-resident  pastor.  One 
hundred  dollars  was  received  last  year  by  another  open  country 
church  in  the  vicinity  of  Wichita. 

The  total  amount  of  money  raised  by  the  fifty-three  churches  for 

47 


SIRNKV   or   SKDCiW'K  K   COINTV.   KANSAS 

tlie    year    ])rocc(Iint;    the    Mir\cy    was    $</),  140.71.      ()f    this    sum, 
$57,252.75  was  raised  by  the  Iwenty-t'our  villaji;e  churelies.  an  aver- 
aii^e  of  $-.3'^5-53  P^'"  congregation,  and  $3<S,887.(j6  l)y   the  twenty- 
nine  (i])en  country  churches,  an  average  of  $i.340.(/). 
A   typical   <lollar  is  raised  hy  the    following  methods: 

rUlagc  Churchrs  O^cii   CoiDitry  Clnirclirs 

Subscription     $  .94  Subscription     $  .87 

CollLCtion     05  Collection    1  j 

C)tluT  nu'tliods  less  tban or  Otber  methods 01 


$1.00 


$1.00 


Tt  will  he  seen  that  in  the  open  cotmtry  cluu'ches  the  ])roporlion 
raised  hy  subscription  is  lower  than  that  in  the  village  churches.  Sec 
Chart  ir. 


HOW   THE   CHURCH 

DOLLAR    15    RAISED 

VILLAGE  CHURCME5 

COUNTRY  CHURCHES 

Other  Methods 

_^0^^^^^    Other  Methods 

^^^^^^^^^R<^C  0  L  L  EC  T 10  N 

^^^^^^^^HB^^^v^  0  L  L  E  C  T 1 0  N 

5u  B5C  R 1  PTION^^^^^^^^^^^^^V 

S5    ^^^^^^^^^^^m 

Su  BSCR 1 P  TION^^^^^^^^^^^V 

.67   m^^^^^^^^m 

CHART   II 


The  total  amount  of  money  disbursed  in  the  year  jM^eceding  the 
sur\ey  for  all  ])tirposes  was  $0^6.711.89.  This  is  an  average  of 
$2,414.35  f"^*''  the  \illage.  and  $1,337.48  ft)r  the  o])en  countrv 
churches.  Of  this  amount  $34,041  went  for  salaries,  $26,444.56  for 
missions  and  benevolences,  and  $36,226.33  for  contingent  expenses, 
including  repairs,  buildings  and  other  current  outlav. 

A  t\i)ical  dollar  is  spent  for  the  following  ])ur])oses: 


/  '(//</(/(•    Chun  It 

For   salary    $  .36 

missions  and  benevolences.  .     .25 
all   other   purpo.ses 35 

$1.00 


(>/'('»   Counlry  ClnircJi 

I'or   salary    $  .33 

missions  and  benevolences.  .     .;i2 
"     all  other  purposes 35 

$1.00 


48 


EQUIPMENT  AND  FINANCE 

Following'  is  the  yearly  disbursement,  per  active  member,  in  the 

churches : 

/;;   J'ilfai/c  In    Open    Country 

For  salary    $8.46       For  salary    $9-09 

"     missions  and  benevolences.  .   5.70  "     missions  and  benevolences.  .   8.59 

Other   expenses    9.10       Other  expenses   9.51 

Total $23.26  Total    $27.10 

This  table  clearly  indicates  that  so  far  as  per  capita  giving  is 
concerned  the  farmers  in  the  exclusively  farmers'  churches  in  Sedg- 
wick County  are  more  than  holding  their  own.     See  Chart  III. 

HOW  THE  CHURCH  DOLLAR  15  EXPENDED 

VILLAGE  CHURCHES  COUNTRY   CHURCHES 

Salary  X  ^^^^HbAuAR 

Other  Expenses  ^^^^^^^^  Other  Expenses 


&  Benevolences 


issioNS  &  denevolences 


CHART    III 


49 


ClIArXER  VII 
THE  AIIXISTERS 

WHEN  the  problems  of  rural  churches  are  being  discussed,  no 
point  is  more  important  than  that  of  the  pastors.  What  are 
their  salaries?  Are  the\-  adequate?  How  loni^"  do  they 
reinain  in  their  parishes?  Do  all  have  parsonages?  What  tasks 
and  handicaps  have  they?  How  have  they  been  trained?  In  this 
present  discussion  there  is  one  outstanding  fact  in  regard  to 
V.'ichita  and  the  relation  it  has  to  the  surrounding  country.  This  is 
the  large  proportion  of  churches  in  the  country  being  served  by 
men  who  live  in  the  city. 

At  the  time  of  the  survey,  eleven  churches  received  pastoral  atten- 
tion from  the  city  from  students,  city  pastors,  or  laymen  following 
other  occupations.  This  number  has  been  increasing,  until,  in  the 
spring  of  1921,  fifteen  churches  out  of  tifty-three  (between  one- 
fourth  and  one-third  of  the  total  number)  receive  pastoral  attention 
from  the  city.  The  churches  of  the  community  of  Peck,  located 
just  across  the  southern  border  of  the  county,  are  also  served  from 
Wichita,  making  a  grand  total  of  seventeen  out  of  fifty-five  churches. 
The  surveyor  learned  of  at  least  four  other  churches  in  Butler 
County  which  are  served  by  men  from  Wichita.  These  facts  indi- 
cate how  the  city  plays  a  part  in  the  church  life  of  the  surrounding 
countryside,  and  how,  gradually,  the  country  church  seems  to  be 
less  and  less  able  to  support  a  minister.  In  many  villages  and  com- 
munities, of  course,  it  is  impossible  for  all  churches  to  have  resident 
ministers.  Such  being  the  case,  and  in  view  of  lack  of  co-o])eration 
between  the  local  churches,  plans  have  been  worked  out  to  give  the 
cotmtry  churches  soiue  jmstoral  attention.  One  denomination  ties 
up  a  country  clun-ch  with  a  city  church,  and  gives  a  pastor  the 
oversight  of  both.  He  can  give  a  little  time  for  pastoral  work  in 
the  country.  This  method  seems  to  be  meeting  the  situation  more 
effectively  than  that  of  lia\ing  a  laym;in  or  minister  who  must 
follow  another  occn])ation,  while  living  in  the  cit\-.  take  care  of  the 
country  work. 

I'orty-one  jjastors  serve  the  fifty-three  active  Protestant  churches 
of    Sedgwick   County.      ITeven   of    them    follow    other   occupations 

50 


THE  MINISTERS 

or  pursuits.  One  is  a  college  professor,  one  a  state  officer  of  his 
denomination,  three  are  students,  one  an  architect,  one  a  farmer, 
one  a  carpenter,  one  a  painter,  one  a  grocery  clerk,  while  one  works 
at  various  occupations.  At  the  time  this  survey  was  made  six 
churches  were  pastorless. 

The  churches  with  pastoral  service  may  he  classified  as  follows 
with  respect  to  their  pastors'  residence : 

Cliurch  zcilh  J'illagc 

Pastor  resident  in  parish   i8 

Pastor  non-resident  in   parish 2 

No    pastor    3 

53 

From  this  table  it  will  be  seen  that  the  village  churches  have  by 
far  the  larger  number  of  resident  ministers,  and  that  those  of  the 
open  country  are  handicapped  by  having  a  large  proportion  of 
absentees.     See  Chart  IV.     A  further  classification  has  been  made 


Open  Country 

Total 

8 

26 

19 

21 

3 

6 

53     PROTESTANT     CHURCHES 

CLASSIFIED    ACCORDING   TO 

RESIDENCE   OF  MINISTERS 


6 

Churches 


with  with  with 

No  Non-Resident       Resident 

Minister  Ministers  Ministers 


CHART   IV 


on  the  basis  of  communities.  Nine  communities  have  full-time 
resident  ministers  and  three  of  these  also  have  part-time  resident 
mmisters.  Three  communities  have  only  part-time  ministers.  Five 
communities  ha\e  no  ministers;  two  are  served  only  by  Roman 
Catholic  priests,  and  one,  while  situated  partly  in  Sedgwick  County, 

51 


SURVEY  OF   SEDGWK  K   ( OLN'IV.   KANSAS 

has  11(1  iiiiiiislcr  resident  therein,  hnt  lias  ministers  who  h\e  in  the 
adjoinint^  count}'.  One  minister  ira\els  a  distance  of  forty  miles 
to  hold  services,  one  travels  eighteen,  and  one  fifteen.  Two  min- 
isters live  outside  the  county,  and  travel  distances  of  less  than  ten 
miles  to  reach  their  churches. 

Of  the  forty-one  pastors  serving  the  county  only  twenty-six  have 
free  ]iarsonage  ]irivileges.  Most  of  the  men  living  in  the  city  are 
not  furnished  ]xu"sonages  l)y  the  country  churclies.  Salaries  paid 
the  full-time  ministers  range  from  $1,251  to  $1,500.  This  figure 
includes  $-'50.  arhitrarily  added  hy  the  surveyor,  for  each  i)astor 
who  has  a  free  ])arsonage.  The  distrihution  of  the  total  yearly 
salaries  of  the  ministers  is  as  follows: 

Receiving                       A'liiiibcr  of  I'astors  (iivhifi        Xiuiibcr  of  Pastors  tcwV/i 

Salary    of                        Full  lime  to  the  Mijiistrx  Other  Occupations 

$500  or  less I  7 

$501-750   1  I 

$750-1000   2  I 

$1001-1250     8  .2 

$1251-1500   9  o 

$1501-1750    4  o 

$1751-2000   2  o 

$2001  and  over 2  o 

No    salary     i  o 

30  II 


$3200 
EflOO 
24  00 
2000H 
1600 
1200- 
800- 
400- 


5ALARY    SCALE    OF   THE    MINISTERS 

EACH  COLUMN  REPRESENTS  THE   SALARY   OF  ONE   MINISTER 


Average 
"il269~" 


Figures  include    $250  per  year  as  value  of  parsonage  when   provided. 
One   minister   receives  no  salory. 


IMinisters'  salaries  may  he  classified    further,  as   follows:    (This 
includes  $250  added  for  the  cash  value  of  each  [)arsonage  provided.) 


THE   MINISTERS 


Alaximuni    salary    $33^0 

JMinimum         "  \^j 

Average    salary  : 

A.  of  ministers  without  other  occupation 1422 

B.  of  ministers  with  other  occupation   541 

Alodal    average    1251-1500 

See  Chart  V  on  page  52. 

Twenty-one  ]jastors  have  antoniol)iles.  Twelve  of  tliese  are 
village  pastors  and  nine  belong  to  the  open  country.  Two  ()])en 
country  ministers  travel  by  rail,  and  two  report  that  they  use  horse 
and  buggy. 

In  Sedgwick  Count}',  as  in  many  others,  short  ])astoratcs  are  far 

too  frequent  for  the  good  of  the  churches. 

5  churches  have  had  two  pastors    in    the    past   ten     years 
7  "  "         "     three 


3 
S 
8 

a 

" 

four 

five 

six 

6 

I  church 
I 

has 

had 

seven 
eight 
nine 

NUMBER  OF  PASTORATES 
DURING  PAST  TEN   YEARS 

53  PROTESTANT  CHURCHES 


20 
Churches 


Churches 

n 


16 
Churches 


a 

Churches 


1-2 


3-4 


5-6 


Pastorates 


7and 
over 


4  churches    had   no  record  of    their 
pastoral   changes. 


For  four  churches  no  record  of  pastoral  changes  is  available. 
See  Chart  \T. 

In  regard  to  the  future  of  each  church,  the  opinion  of  the  pastor 
or  some  member  qualified  to  judge  was  sought  by  the  surveyor.     In 

5S 


SURVEY  OF   SKDGWK  K  C OLXTV.  KANSAS 

Iwcnty-scvcii  instances  the  ])rosi)ect  was  considered  as  beini^  "fair, 
good  or  promising."  in  seventeen  it  was  acknowledged  to  be  poor, 
while  in  the  case  of  three  churches  it  was  described  as  uncertain. 
The  chief  problems  of  these  churches  were  also  considered.  Those 
most  freciuently  mentioned  were  lack  of  resident  ministers,  indiffer- 
ence and  denominational  competition. 


54 


Chapter  VIII 
MEMBERSHIP 

THE  rural  church  rolls  give  a  total  membership  of  4,830,  the 
active  members  numbering"  3,915.  (The  term  "active  mem- 
ber" defines  one  who  attends  church,  at  least  occasionally, 
and  contributes  toward  its  support.)  Of  these  active  members, 
2,490  are  in  the  twenty-four  village  churches,  an  average  of  104 
to  the  congregation;  1,425  are  in  the  tv.'enty-nine  open  country 
churches,  an  average  of  forty-nine.  There  are  437  members  not 
resident  within  the  community  in  which  their  church  is  located. 
The  total  resident  membership  is  twenty-two  per  cent  of  the  rural 
population  of  the  county.     See  Chart  VII. 


CHURCH    MEMBERS 

IN    POPULATION 

n 

■  Members 

f    • 

NoN- Members 

76%  \ 

CHART    VII 

The  membership  figures  for  the  county  follow : 

J'illage  Open  Country 

Churches      Churches  Total  Per  Cent 

Non-resident   members    313                   124  437  9.1 

Inactive  members   356                   122  478  9.9 

Net   active   members    2490                 1425  3915  81. 

.Total  church  enrolment 3159                 1671  4830  100. 

See  Chart  VIII  on  page  56. 

A   division   of   the  resident   church   membership   of    the   county 
shows  the  following  age  and  sex  groups : 

55 


SURVEY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY,  KANSAS 


Men    over    21    years  comprise    Jg'^/c    of    the    resident    nienil)ersliii) 
Men    under    "        '"  "  13%     " 

Women  over  "'         "  "  41%     "       "  "  " 

Women  under  21    "  "  17%     " 

The  ])r()])ortion  of  men,   forty-two  per  cent,  is   fairlv  hii^li  and 
an  encouraging  sign. 


RESIDENCE  AND  ACTIVITY 
OF  CHURCH  MEMBERS 

53   PROTESTANT  CHURCHES 
WITH   ENROLLMENT  OF    4S30 

9.1  %         

Non-Residenf^^^^ 

.     9.9% 
In-Active 


81  y. 

Active 


.  90.9  %  of 
Total  Roll 
are  Resident 


'An   inactive   member   is  one   who  does    not 
attend   church    or  contribute   to   its  support 


CH.\RT   VIII 


Rural  Members  of  the  City  Churches 

Immediately  adjoining  the  city  of  Wichita  is  a  large  strip  of 
territory  embracing  about  two  thousand  people  who  live  either  in 
suburban  homes  or  on  farms.  The  city  churches  have  some  mem- 
bers from  this  area  but  not  a  great  many.  While  not  seriously 
neglected,  here  is  a  field  that  has  been  somewhat  overlooked.  The 
rural  membership  of  all  the  seventy  Protestant  churches  was  sought 
by  letter,  telephone  and  personal  calls.  Owing  to  the  lack  of  infor- 
mation of  the  cluu-ches,  es]:)eciall\-  those  without  pastors,  or  whose 
])astors  were  absent,  a  full  rei)ort  was  not  secured  for  all.  From  the 
number  that  did  report,  however,  it  is  probable  that  the  total  number 
of  Protestant  members  of  city  cluu'ches  from  this  area  does  not 
exceed  three  hundred.  Situated  in  this  area,  too.  are  eight  Protestant 
country  churches  with  a  total  membership  of  343.  With  a  total  of 
600  members  from  approximately  two  thousand  ])eople.  plus  the 
number  belonging  to  cotmtrv  churches  in  communities  afljoining  this 

50 


MEMBERSHIP 


area,  and  allowing  for  a  reasonable  Catholic  population  belonging 
probably  to  the  city  churches,  this  territory  is  not  so  seriously  un- 
churched as  is  frequently  the  case  in  similar  situations  elsewhere. 
However,  it  is  becoming  increasingly  difficult  to  maintain  churches  in 
this  area.  Because  of  lack  of  a  pastor,  one  church  temporarily  closed 
its  doors.  Others  have  the  problems  of  some  members  leaving  ])e- 
cause  they  prefer  to  drive  to  the  city  to  church.  Again,  not  a  single 
church  in  this  area  has  a  resident  pastor,  all  being  served  by  men 
from  the  city.  Moreover,  it  is  hard  to  hold  ministers  for  these 
churches,  and  the  student  pastor  has  been  resorted  to  as  a  substitute, 
and,  though  he  may  do  better  work  here  than  in  many  other 
localities,  he  does  not  constitute  a  permanent  remedy  for  the  situation. 
The  territory  immediately  next  to  the  city  is  plainly  a  city  resj^on- 
sibility,  and  some  of  the  Wichita  pastors  are  thinking  and  working- 
hard  on  this  problem. 


RELATION 

OF   SIZE 

OF  CHURCH    MEMBERSHIP    TO  GAIN 

OF    25     CHURCMES 

with  memberships    of    less    than    50 

OF    28    CMURCME5 

with    memberships  of   50  or  more 

/              ^^^Bgamed 

did  not  gam        ^^^^^ 

(        ^^ 

68  °/o                        ^^ 

did  not  gam                      / 

^H^^^^^^Hga  m  e  d 

SMALL  CHURCHES 

LARGE,    CHURCHES 

(During    pas' 

year) 

CHART    IX 

Cain  and  Loss  of  Members 

The  following  table  indicates  the  size  of  the  churches  and  also 

those  which  have  gained  in  the  last  year : 

Churches  with         No.  in      No.        No.  in        No.  Total  No.        Per 

Net  Active                  vil-     Gain-         Open      Gain-  No.  Gain-      Cent 

Membership    of         lages       incj      Country        ing  Churches  ing       Gaining 

25  or  less    4          I            10                   6  14  7             5° 

26-50   2          o             9                   I  II  I               9 

51-100   8          4             9                   I  17  9            53 

loi-iso   4          4             o                   5  4  4           100 

iSi-over   6          5             2                  o  7  6           86 

24        14           30                13  53  27 
See  Chart  IX. 

57 


SURVEY  OF  SKI)(;\VICK  COUNTY,  KANSAS 

This  slio\vin^i(  is  perhaps  what  might  be  expected  from  Sedgwick 
County.  It  has  l)cen  found  that  when  a  well-established  church  in 
a  settled  community  has  less  than  fifty  members,  it  seldom  shows 
growth.  In  fact,  studies  made  in  certain  localities  force  the  conclu- 
sion that  under  these  conditions  such  a  church  has  but  one  chance 
in  four  of  sur\iving.  But  in  a  country  of  such  recent  growth  as 
Kansas,  we  may  look  for  a  good  percentage  of  gain  in  both  large  and 
small  churches.  However,  the  figures  show  the  large  church  to 
be  the  most  efficient  working  force. 

Forty-nine  per  cent  of  the  churches  in  Sedgwick  County  are 
gaining,  while  fifty-one  per  cent  are  stationary  or  declining.  Thir- 
teen have  made  a  gain  of  over  ten  per  cent  in  their  membership.  In 
the  following  table  churches  are  classified  according  to  variations  in 
gain  and  loss. 

Cliurchcs   slum'ing  Villages  Open    Country  Total 

Net   loss    6  5  ii 

Even    break     4  11  15 

Gain  less  than  5%   4  3  7 

Gain  from  5-10%  3  4  7 

Gain  of  over   10%   7  6  13 

24  29  53 


GAIN 

1 1  Churches 
15  Churches 
27Churches 

NUMBER    OF   CHURCHES 
ING   &  LOSING   IN  ONE  YEAR 

53     PROTESTANT   CHURCME5 

PERIOD 

ln<;t                    1                                                       1 

remained  mmmmm^i^i^^imi 

STanonary 

Less  than  5%.          5-10  % 

Over    10% 

Of  course,  one  year's  tally  may  not  do  justice  to  all  concerned. 
For,  as  is  often  the  case,  one  church  may  carry  on  its  roll  names  of 
members  whi(fh  should  long  since  have  been  removed,  while  another 
may  show  a  loss  due  to  the  adoption  of  modern  methods  of  keeping 
its  lists  up  to  date.  For  purposes  of  comjxirison,  however,  the 
foregoing  table  has  its  value.  IMembership  figures  for  a  ten-year 
period  are  available  for  forty-seven  of  the  fifty-three  churches. 

58 


ME:NrBERSHIP 

(These   47   churches) 
Membership   10  jears  ago     4018 

5       "       "        4276    Increase  5% 
"  today  4652  "        9% 

This  gain  has  for  the  most  part  l)een  made  by  the  stronger 
clnirches  of  the  county,  although  the  smaller  churches  also  make  a 
good  showing : 

No.  No. 

Present  Total  No.  Churches      Per  Cent  Churches  Churches 

Membership  Grozving  Grozving  Stationary  Declining 

50  or  less   3  19  3  10 

51  to    150    13  61  3  5 

151   and  over   9  90  o  i 

The  total  gain  for  the  past  year  for  the  fifty-three  churches  is 
326.  This  is  eight  per  cent  of  the  former  net  active  membership  of 
all  the  churches.  The  total  loss  in  members  is  ninety-three.  There 
is  thus  a  net  gain  of  233,  or  about  six  per  cent  of  the  former  net 
active  membership  of  the  churches. 

Of  the  twenty-seven  churches  gaining,  thirteen  made  a  gain  of 
over  ten  per  cent.  This  gain  is  190  or  seventy-two  per  cent  of  the 
total  net  gain  of  all  the  churches.  The  former  average  size  of  these 
thirteen  churches  was  ninety-two  members.  Six  of  them  have  resi- 
dent pastors,  five  non-resident,  and  two  temporary  supplies. 

The  protracted  meeting  is  a  favourite  method  of  enlisting  new 
members.  Seven  villages  and  eight  country  churches  held  such 
meetings  during  the  year  preceding  the  survey.  Six  churches  only 
reported  converts,  the  total  number  being  forty.  The  meetings 
lasted  from  seven  to  thirty  days.  One  hundred  and  nine  other 
members  were  received  by  Sedgwick  County  rural  churches,  on 
confirmation  or  confession  of  faith.  The  total  evangelistic  return 
for  the  year  was,  therefore,  149.  Thus  the  total  gain  by  confirma- 
tion and  confession  of  faith  exceeded  the  total  loss.  Of  this  gain 
by  confession  of  faith,  the  village  churches  with  resident  pastors 
had  an  average  of  twelve  per  church.  Of  those  with  non-resident 
pastors,  one  church  gained  one  member.  The  open  country  churches 
having  resident  pastors  gained  an  average  of  eight  per  church ; 
those  having  non-resident  pastors  gained  three  per  church.  Only 
one  church  has  retained  a  pastor  as  long  as  five  years.  This  church 
gained  seventeen  members  last  year  by  confession  of  faith. 

Fourteen,  or  fifty-eight  per  cent,  of  the  twenty-four  village 
churches  showed  a  net  gain  during  the  year.  The  figure  for  the 
twenty  open  country  churches  was  thirteen,  or  forty-five  per  cent. 

59 


SL"RV1",V   or   SKIX.WK  K  COUXTV.  KANSAS 

Occupation 

The  analysis  of  tlic  clnirch  nieni1)cT>lii|)  repdrtccl  in  tlie  county 
shows  a  total  of  1,788  ongai^cd  in  some  ijainful  ()ccu])ati()n  and 
retired  farmers.  ( )nc  thousand,  three  hundred  and  ninet)-fi\e  of 
these  are  farmers,  and  393  husiness  or  ])rofcssional  men.  mechanics, 
clerks,  factory  workers,  and  followers  of  other  occu])ations.  Of 
the  i,3')5  farmers,  132,  or  nine  and  hve-tenths  per  cent,  are  retired, 
104  hcins,^  in  the  \illaij^e  churches,  and  twenty-eiji^ht  in  the  o])en 
countrx  churches.  The  numher  of  farm  owners  is  083,  or  seventy 
and  four-tenths  i)er  cent,  and  of  these  544  are  identified  with  village 
churches,  and  439  with  o|)en  country  chtu-ches.  Tenant  farmers 
on  the  church  rolls  numher  250,  or  seventeen  and  nine-tenths  per 
cent.  One  hundred  thirty-four  attend  village  churches  and  116 
those  in  the  open  cotintry.  The  ])roportion  of  tenant  farmers  in 
the  entire  county  is  fifty-six  per  cent.  The  church  rolls  contain  a 
small  proportion  of  farm  lahorers.  There  are  thirt)'  in  all,  twenty- 
five  heing  memhers  of  village  churches. 

These  figures  show  that  1,233  'i^ads  of  families  in  the  clunxhes 
of  Sedgwick  County  are  operating  farmers,  either  owners  or  renters. 
According  to  the  government  censtts  of  1920  there  are  3.346  farms 
in  the  county.  Taking  the  census  count,  we  have  a  total  of  2,113 
farm  families  not  connected  with  the  Protestant  chttrches  of  the 
county.  The  Roman  Catholic  constituency  is  very  large  in  Sedgwick 
and  is  growing.  At  the  ])resent  time,  however,  there  is  a  consider- 
ahle  ntnnl)er  of  unchtirched  farm  families  in  the  cotmty. 
CJiiircli  Parishes 

T'arish  houndaries  as  shown  on  the  ma]i  on  page  39  include  the 
location  of  the  inain  hody  of  church  memhers.  In  most  cases  the 
limits  of  the  parish  may  be  indicated  by  the  cardinal  points  of  the 
compass.  In  Sedgwick  County  there  is  almost  no  territory  not 
included  in  the  parish  of  some  church,  and  no  parish  whose  boun- 
daries extend  to  any  degree  beyond  the  county  limits.  Very  few 
people,  moreover,  attend  church  in  any  other  county.  The  average 
area  of  the  village  parish  in  Sedgwick  Cotmty  is  twenty  sqtiare 
miles,  and  that  of  the  country  parish  seven  and  five-tenths.  In 
only  one  place  is  there  overlapping  of  parish  botindaries  of  the 
same  denomination.  The  village  churches  thus  have  a  large  pro- 
portion of  farmers  in  their  membership,  and  there  is  a  very  notice- 
able tendency  to  move  both  church  buildings  and  jiarsonages  from 
open  country  to  villages.  The  parishes  of  open  country  churches 
may  also  be  smaller  because  of  the  lower  proportion  of  resident 
ministers. 

00 


Chapter  IX 
ORGANISATION  AND  PROGRAAniE 

SUNDAY    SCHOOLS 

ITH  one  exception,  every  church  in  Sedgwick  County  has  a 
Sunday  school.  The  following  table  sets  forth  the  total 
enrolment,  the  average  enrolment,  and  average  attendance : 

Location  of  No.  of  Total  En-  Avcrayc  Aicragc 

Churches  Schools  rolnicnt  Enrolment  Attendance 

Village    23  2897  126  69 

Open   Country    29  2000  69  44 

52  4897  94  55 

The  total  Sunday  school  enrolment  is  4.897.  one  hundred  and  one 
per  cent  of  the  total  church  enrolment.  In  other  words,  the  Sunday 
school  membership  exceeds  the  church  membership  by  a  total  of 
sixtv-.'^even.  In  villages,  the  Sunday  school  enrolment  is  ninety-two 
per  cent  of  the  church  enrolment,  but  in  the  open  country  the  Sunday 
school  enrolment  is  one  hundred  and  nineteen  per  cent  of  the  church 
enrolment.  It  is  interesting  to  note  that  out  of  the  fifty-two  Sunday 
schools  in  the  count}'  thirty  have  larger  membership  rolls  than  the 
churches  to  which  they  are  attached.  Only  nine  of  these  are  village 
churches.  This  is  probably  due  to  the  fact  that  children  of  tenant 
farmers  attend  Sunday  school  while  their  i)arents  do  not  attend  or 
belong  to  the  church. 

In  the  village  schools  the  attendance  on  a  typical  Sunday  is  fifty- 
five  per  cent  of  the  total  enrolment,  while  in  the  open  country  the 
Sunday  school  attendance  is  sixty-four  per  cent  of  the  enrolment. 
Twenty-three  village  schools  report  a  total  of  1,795.  "i"  sixty-two 
per  cent,  living  on  farms ;  and  twenty-nine  open  country  schools 
have  1,728  members,  or  eighty-seven  per  cent,  living  on  farms. 
We  see  here  that  the  village  churches  are  reaching  open  country 
peo])le  to  a  consideralile  extent. 

The  following  figures  indicate  how  the  various  Sunday  schools 
are  housed : 

61 


SLItX'EV   Ol    SKDC.WRK  COLNTY,  KANSAS 

23  Sunday    scliools    meet  in  one    room 

6  "              "             "  "  two  rooms 

4  "              "             "  "  three    " 

3  "               "              "  "  four     " 

3  "               "              "  "  five 

1  "  scliool  meets  "  seven  " 

2  "  schools  meet  "  nine     " 

The  clnirches  of  Sedgwick  County  liave  made  a  high  record  in 
missionary  giving,  but  interest  in  this  ])hase  of  Christian  work  has 
not  extended  to  the  Stinday  schools.  Only  nine  village  schools  have 
mission  stitdy.  In  two  it  is  given  weekly,  in  three  monthly,  and  in 
four  occasionally.  Eight  o])en  cotmtry  schools  rei)ort  mission  stttdy 
— five  monthly  and  three  occasionally.  Sixty-five  per  cent  of  the 
schools  give  no  instritction.  Nineteen  village  and  twenty-one  open 
country  schools  take  missionarv  offerings  regtilarlv.  Decision  Day 
is  observed  by  twelve  village  and  two  oj)en  cotintry  schools.  Results 
are  described  as  good,  with  five  decisions  reported.  Three  village 
and  two  open  country  schools  maintain  classes  to  ]:)repare  scholars 
for  church  membership.  Ten  village  schools  sent  one  hundred  and 
five  members  into  church  membership  last  year,  while  ten  open 
country  schools  sent  sixty-eight,  making  a  total  of  173.  There  is 
apparently  room  for  more  effort  in  the  work  of  the  Sttnday  school 
in  Sedgwick  County. 

Twenty-five  schools  have  eighty-two  meml:)ers  who  are  attending 
college  or  some  educational  institution  above  high  school  grade. 
Fifty  are  from  the  village,  and  thirty-two  from  the  open  country 
schools.  During  the  past  ten  years  seventeen  scholars  have  gone 
from  the  county  into  some  form  of  Christian  work.  Ten  of  these 
were  from  village  and  seven  from  open  country  schools.  Annual 
]:)icnics  are  reported  by  twenty-nine  Sunday  schools,  and  excej)t 
that  six  schools  have  classes  with  social  gatherings,  and  one  reports 
other  social  times  for  the  school  as  a  whole,  no  other  social  activities 
are  reported.  Three  Sunday  schools  have  musical  organisations, 
and  one  has  a  public  playground. 

Some  further  facts  relating  to  the  Sunday  school  are  furnished 
in  the  following  table : 

A'o.  J'illagc  Xo.  Of^cn 

Schools  ivith                                                Schools  Country  Schools 

Special   leadership  training i  i 

Organised    classes 24  6 

Cradle   roll    12  15 

Home   department    10  9 

Teachers'    training    classes 3  2 

Sunday  school  papers  regularly  distributed 21  21 

Libraries  11  5 

Sessions   all   year 23  28 

62 


ORGANISATION  AND  PROGRAMME 

/;.    Otlicr  Organisations  zi'itJiiii  the  CJiurchcs 
The  total  number  is  as  follows : 

No.  of  Organisations 
For  in  the  County 

Men    o 

Women    45 

Boys    2 

Girls    2 

Mixed  organisations    29 

Total   78 

Of  the  organisations  for  women  and  for  young  people,  there  are 
a  few  more  in  the  village  than  in  the  open  country  churches.  Those 
for  boys  are  Scout  Troops,  and  the  girls'  organisations  consist  of  a 
missionary  society  and  a  group  called  Pilgrim  Maids.  Those  for 
women  are  as  follows  : 

21  Missionary  Organisations 

22  Ladies'    Aid    Societies 
*2  W.  C.  T.  U. 

The  mixed  organisations  for  boys  and  girls,  young  people  ana 
adults,  are  as  follows: 

10  Y.  P.  S.  C.  E. 

8  Epworth  Leagues 

5  B.  Y.  P.  U. 

3  Junior  Epworth  Leagues 

I  Children's   Missionary  Society 

I  Young  People's  ^Missionary  Society 

I  Walter    League 

Fourteen  churches  are  without  any  such  organisations  except  the 
Sunday  school. 

General  CJiurch  Programme 

Eighteen  of  the  twenty-four  village  churches  are  open  every  Sun- 
day for  preaching  services.  Four  have  four  preaching  services  a 
month.  One  church  holds  but  one,  and  another  is  not  able  to  have 
any  regular  services.  In  the  open  country,  twelve  of  the  twenty- 
nine  churches  hold  services  every  Sunday.  Twelve  have  four  serv- 
ices a  month,  four  two  a  month,  while  one  has  only  irregular  services. 
— See  Chart  XI  on  page  64. 

Union  services  are  reported  by  seven  of  the  village  churches,  held 
mostly  during  the  summer  season.  The  open  country  churches' 
record  compares  favourably  with  this,  four  of  them  reporting  such 
meetings,  also  held  during  the  summer. 

*  There  are  other  W.  C.  T.  U.  organisations  in  the  county  not  connected 

with  churches. 


SURVEY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY,  KANSAS 

As  for  a  general  church  ]:)rogrammc,  nine  churches  ])articipate  in 
some  form  of  special  missionary  work;  thirteen  meet  the  needs  of 
local  charitahle  work;  three  assist  in  the  civic  enterprises  of  their 
neighhourhoods  ;  eight  take  a  definite  part  in  social  and  recreational 
life;  five  are  responsihle  for  some  educational  work  outside  the  Sun- 
dav  school ;  six  are  concerned  in  the  cultural  improvement  of  their 
communities ;  three  do  special  work  among  young  i)eople.  in  addition 


FREQUENCY    OF 
CHURCH    SERVICES 

24 
Churches       2.2. 

Churches 


2  4 

Services      per     Monfh 

2  churches  hold   services   irregularly. 


CHART    XI 


to  that  carried  on  hy  the  regular  church  organisations ;  twenty-three 
of  the  churches  celebrate  festivals,  holidays,  anniversaries,  etc.  Five 
churches  report  definite  co-operation  with  other  religious  bodies, 
but  none  work  any  of  the  non-religious  organisations  in  their 
vicinity.  In  eleven  churches  a  definite  attempt  is  made  to  apply 
(Gospel  teachings  to  existing  social  problems.  All  but  seventeen 
churches  in  the  county  report  that  the}-  undertake  something  along 
these  lines.    Eight  of  these  are  in  villages  and  nine  in  open  country. 


64 


Chapter  X 
"THE  PAR  STANDARD" 

OXE  of  the  developmenis  growing  out  of  the  Interchurch  World 
Movement  was  the  adoption  of  the  so-called  "Par  Standard 
for  Country  Churches."  This  standard  was  worked  out  and 
approved  by  the  Town  and  Country  Committee  of  the  Home  Missions 
Council  and  submitted  to  a  large  group  of  the  survey  workers  of 
the  Interchurch  World  Movement  representing  every  state  in  the 
Union.  These  persons  had  all  done  field  survey  work  and  were 
familiar  with  the  various  conditions  existing  in  rural  America.  It 
should  also  be  stated  that,  in  addition  to  investigational  experience, 
these  men  had  been  country  ministers  and  knew  intimately  the  prob- 
lems of  the  rural  parish.  There  was  unanimous  agreement  that  this 
Par  Standard  should  be  placed  before  the  Country  Church  of  Amer- 
ica not  as  an  ideal  far  beyond  its  accomplishment  but  as  a  goal  which 
it  might,  in  all  reasonableness,  expect  to  reach.  Since  that  time  one 
denomination,  and  the  home  mission  department  of  a  strong  division 
of  another,  have  with  slight  adaptations  adopted  the  Par  Standard  for 
their  own  purposes.  It  should  be  stated  that  no  attempt  has  been 
made  to  give  comparative  value  to  the  points  of  this  Standard. 
So  far  as  the  table  shows,  a  resident  pastor  on  full  time  counts  as 
much  as  horse  sheds  or  parking  space.  Obviously,  this  is  a  weak- 
ness in  the  Standard,  but  it  was  drawn  up,  not  for  the  purpose  of 
comparative  evaluation,  but  for  the  purpose  of  suggesting  minimum 
achievements  for  an  average  strong  country  congregation. 

The  points  covered  in  the  Par  Standard  for  country  churches 
are  as  follows : 

Up-to-date  Parsonage 

Adequate  Church  Auditorium   Space 

Social  and  Recreational   Equipment 

Well  Equipped  Kitchen 

Organ  or   Piano 

Sunday    School    Room 

Stereopticon  or  Moving  Picture  Machine 

Sanitary   Toilets 

Horse  Sheds  or  Parking  Space   

Property  in  Good  Repair  and  Condition 
r  Resident  Pastor 
p  J  Full  Time  Pastor 

Pastor         -|  ggj-vice  Every  Sunday 

LMinimum  Salary  of  $1200 
65 


Adequate 

Physical 

Equipment 


SURVEY  OF  SEI)(,W!(  K  COLXTY,  KANSAS 


Finance 

Meetings 
I'arisli 


Religious 
lulucation 


Programme 
of  Work 


Annual  Churcii   iUidget  Aciopted  Aniuially 

l'"very  Member  Canvass 

IJenevolences  I^iual  to  2^' '<   Current   I'.xpcnses 
J  Co-operation  with  Other  Churches  in  Connnunitj' 
L Systematic   Evangelism 

Church   Serves  all   Racial  and  Occupational   Groups 

Sunday   School   Held    Entire  Year 

Sunday  School  luirolment  Fciual  to  Church  Membership 

Attempt   to    P>ring    Pupils   into  Church 

Special  Instruction  for  Church  Membership 

Teacher   Training   or    Normal    Class 
^Provision   for  Leadership  Training 

Organised  Activities  for  Age  and  Sex  Groups 

Co-operation  with   Boards  and   Denominational   Groups 

Programme  Adopted  Annually,  25%   of   .Memhershii)   Par- 
ticipating 
.Church   Reaching  Entire  Conununitv 


An  analysis  has  been  made  of  the  churches  having  the  highest 

number  of  points  answered  affirmatively.     As  the   following  table 

shows,  five  churches  were  tied  for  third  place  and  eight  for  fourth 

place.    All  except  two,  which  had  fourteen  points,  and  one,  which  had 

thirteen,  were  village  churches. 

Number     i  answered    16   points   affirmatively 

2  '•  15 

Numbers    3  to     7  "  14       "  " 

8  to  15  "  13       "  " 

(Note:   This  numbering  is  not  that  used   on  the  map.) 

Twelve  of  these  fifteen  churches  have  full-time  resident  ministers; 
all  but  two  have  gained  in  meml)ership  during  the  last,  ten  years. 
P'ourteen  are  situated  in  centres  where  there  are  three  or  more 
churches  in  the  same  commuin'ty,  almost  all  having  full-time  resident 
ministers. 

The  schools  of  Sedgwick  County  have  l)enefited  by  the  recognition 
of  a  standard,  described  on  page  2)Z-  The  churches  will  find  this 
Par  useful  in  plaiming  their  work. 


66 


Chapter  XI 
THE  FEDERATED  CHURCH  AT  WACO 

SINCE  the  original  survey  of  Sedgwick  County  was  made  there 
has  heen  a  marked  change  in  the  church  hfe  of  the  neighhour- 
hond  of  Waco,  ahout  ten  miles  south  of  Wichita.  The  account 
is  here  given,  not  because  the  success  of  this  church  in  organisation, 
finance,  Sunday  school  work,  etc.,  exceeds  that  of  some  other  churches 
in  the  county,  but  because  as  a  federated  cluireJi,  endeavouring  to 
solve  the  problem  of  overchurching  in  the  locality,  it  has  been  achiev- 
ing significant  results.    There  are,  of  course,  other  methods  of  solv- 


DURING   THE   SUNDAY    SEKVICK,   FEDERATED   CHURCH,   WACO,    KANSAS 


ing  the  problem  of  overchurching,  but  in  the  hope  that  this  plan  may 
aid  other  communities,  it  is  given  here. 

Up  to  the  year  1917  Waco,  a  small  community  of  farmers  ten 
miles  south  of  Wichita,  was  like  many  another  rural  community — it 
had  a  church  it  really  didn't  need.  It  had  two  churches  and  three 
hundred  inhabitants.  The  population  had  been  stationary  for  a 
decade,  the  possibility  of  increase  was  remote,  when  suddenly  there 

67 


SURVKV  OF  SEIXiWK  K   ( OUXTY.   KANSAS 

was  a  widespread  feeling  that  something  should  be  done  about  the 
extra  church.  Hien  Waco  became  one  of  those  few  progressive 
communities  which  sets  out  to  solve  its  ])roblem.  It  received  no 
help  from  outside.  A  few  brave  people  from  both  churches  simply 
I)on(lcred  conditions  and  tried  remedies.  Neither  the  Presbyterian 
nor  the  United  lirethren  church  had  been  making  any  gain  in  mem- 
bership or  finance.  Yet  it  seemed  that  there  must  be  some  way 
by  which  a  brighter  and  better  church  life  could  be  brought  to  the 
community. 

First,  it  was  once  suggested  that  I)oth  local  congregations  leave 
their  denominations  and  invite  a  third  denomination  to  enter  the 
field.  Again  someone  proposed  that  the  new  church  they  needed 
should  be  union  and  undenominational.  Neither  of  these  plans  was 
adopted.  Federation,  or  less  binding  local  arrangement,  was  then 
thought  of.  First  one  church  and  then  the  other  made  proposals  of 
federation,  but  each  time  the  plans  offered  were  rejected,  because  the 
congregation  making  them  was  not  willing  to  give  up  sufficient  control 
to  make  the  proposition  attractive  to  the  other. 

Meanwhile,  the  churches  found  themselves  facing  a  new  prob- 
lem. The  "non-churched"  began  to  assert  themselves.  Like  other 
churches,  these  two  in  Waco  tried  to  win  new  members — but  without 
success.  The  non-members  were  becoming  increasingly  stubborn. 
They  would  not  join  the  churches,  declaring  they  did  not  care  to 
favour  one  denomination  against  the  other.  This  fact  furnished  new 
food  for  thought  for  the  men  and  women  in  the  churches.  Some  held 
that  those  out  of  the  churches  were  merely  making  poor  excuses, 
that  they  had  no  real  intention  of  joining  either  church.  Others  there 
were  who  took  the  opposite  view,  and  these  included  the  minister  of 
the  Presbyterian  church,  who  placed  himself  squarely  in  favour  of 
making  a  real  efifort  to  have  but  one  church  in  Waco. 

Then  in  the  fall  of  1919  the  United  Brethren  church  was  de- 
stroyed by  fire,  and  since  plans  of  federation  had  been  previously 
suggested,  the  members  of  this  congregation  were  loath  to  contribute 
funds  to  erect  another  building  when  the  one  remaining  was  ade- 
quate for  the  needs  of  all.    They  were  doubly  willing  to  try  again. 

Plans  of  federation  were  adopted  in  October,  1919.  In  detail, 
they  included  the  following:  Though  one  denomination  had  twice 
the  numl)er  of  members  of  the  other,  missionary  offerings  were  to  be 
made  as  one  church,  and  the  sum  divided  equally.  The  pastor  of  the 
Presbyterian  church  was  elected  to  lead  them  in  the  Federated 
church,  because  he  seemed  to  them  the  best  man  to  carry  through  the 
plan,  and  perhaps,  also,  because  he  was  quite  willing  to  leave  the  field 

68 


THE  FEDERATED  CHURCH  AT  WACO 

for  the  sake  of  having  one  church  in  Waco.  It  was  found  that  forms 
of  haptism  and  communion  were  no  harriers,  and  that  the  order  and 
conduct  of  the  church  services  contained  few  dififerences.  Litera- 
ture of  hoth  denominations  was  to  he  used,  and  an  attempt  at  equal 
distrihution  to  l)e  made.  The  superintendent  and  teachers  of  the 
Sunday  school  were  to  he  elected  hy  popular  vote,  with  no  pretence 
at  having  any  offices  held  alternately  hy  memhers  of  the  two  denomi- 
nations heing  attempted.  The  church  hudget  was  to  be  a  common 
one,  and  hoth  congregations  agreed  to  try  this  plan  of  doing  all  their 
local  work  together  for  a  year,  while  still  remaining  members  of 
separate  denominations.  Then  each  might  vote  separately  for  or 
against  continuance. 

The  Federated  church  continued  to  have  the  same  pastoral  serv- 
ice the  Presbyterians  had  had.  Rev.  Adlai  G.  Wallace  of  Wichita 
was  to  conduct  one  preaching  service  on  Sunday  and  to  spend  sev- 
eral days  each  week  in  the  community  for  various  activities  and  for 
pastoral  work. 

WMiat  happened?  For  the  first  few  months  it  seemed  an  awk- 
ward arrangement.  Men  who  met  each  other  without  embarrass- 
ment at  store,  bank,  and  grain  elevator  felt  (|ueer  in  each  others' 
presence  in  the  same  church.  The  pastor  thought  it  wise  not  to  try 
to  secure  new  members  for  fully  a  year.  New  members  had  the 
privilege  of  uniting  with  either  denomination,  and  it  seemed  that 
if  one  group  were  to  secure  a  larger  numl)er  than  the  other  some 
friction  might  result. 

Meanwhile  new  things  were  happening  in  the  Sunday  school.  In 
the  course  of  several  months,  new  officers  and  teachers  began  to 
work  in  harmony.  They  began  to  put  more  into  the  school ;  much  to 
their  surprise,  a  great  many  non-members  made  good.  In  October, 
1 91 9,  the  Presbyterian  Sunday  school  had  twenty-five  members, 
that  of  the  United  Brethren  fifty,  making  a  total  of  seventy-five. 
In  the  spring  of  192 1,  after  a  steady,  gradual  increase,  the  member- 
ship of  the  school  numbered  one  hundred  and  thirty-five,  with  an 
average  attendance  of  sixty-five,  as  compared  with  the  previous  com- 
bined attendance  of  thirty-five  or  forty.  And  the  spirit  of  the 
meetings  is  better  than  heretofore.  The  pastor  declares  he  could 
not  have  a  more  harmonious  school.  It  runs  well  without  his  help. 
He  is  not  even  a  teacher,  but  a  delighted  listener.  The  leadership 
of  the  school  has  rallied  and  accomplished  more  by  uniting  its 
strength. 

When  you  walk  into  the  church  auditorium  you  are  greeted  with 
a  sign  above  the  pulpit  which  reads:  "united  to  win."     There  are 

69 


SURVEY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY,  KANSAS 

no  indications  at  i)re.sent  that  the  jicople  of  Waco  are  going  to  do 
other  than  win.  They  have  won  many  hattles  already.  Suspicion 
has  gone  and  the  spirit  within  the  church  has  spread  to  the  com- 
munity. The  leading  churcli  memhers  have  heen  instrumental  in 
securing  for  the  community  one  of  the  best  new  hard-surfaced  roads 
in  the  State.  They  convinced  the  rest  so  effectually  that  a  ])etitif)n 
with  a  sufficient  number  of  taxpayers  was  secured.  The  community 
has  helped  to  pay  for  the  road,  as  do  other  communities  according 
to  the  state  law. 


#. 


V 

^m^ 


KU.\U    FKO.M    WICHITA    TO   WACO.    CONCRETE    WITH    BRICK    P.WIXG 

(In  Construction) 


The  pastor  waited  patiently  for  the  annual  meeting  before  en- 
deavouring to  increase  the  church  memljership.  Bolh  congregations 
voted  unanimously  to  continue  the  arrangement.  They  were  happier, 
were  doing  greater  service  in  the  commum'ty.  In  one  vear  thev  had 
doubled  the  total  amount  of  money  raised  by  both  congregations  for 
benevolences  during  the  previous  twelve  months,  and  that  without 
adding  a  memljer.  That  was  something  to  rejoice  over.  The  pastor 
had  been  fair  and  square  to  everybody.  He  was  working  for  the 
good  of  the  community.  All  were  his  friends.  He  greeted  the 
United  Brethren  and  the  non-churched  just  as  cordially  as  those  who 
were  Presbyterians.  Everybody  saw  that.  At  the  end  of  the  trial 
year  hie  was  still  willing  to  leave  the  field,  now  that  the  plan  was 
under  way,  but  the  people  would  not  hear  of  that.     Soon  after  the 

70 


THE  FEDERATED  CHURCH  AT  WACO 

annual  meeting  there  was  no  difficulty  in  securing  fourteen  new 
members,  six  for  one  denomination,  and  eight  for  the  other,  ^mong 
them  being  some  of  the  finest  young  men  in  the  Sunday  school  and 
in  the  community.  This  is  most  significant  when  set  over  against  the 
record  of  the  two  preceding  years,  when  not  a  single  member  had 
been  added  to  the  church.  The  attendance  at  the  church  services 
has  shown  as  great  an  improvement  as  that  of  the  Sunday  school. 


71 


ClTAPTF.T^    XTI 

NON-PROTESTANT  WORK 

TI 1 1'"  only  non-Protestant  work  in  the  town  and  country  com- 
munities of  Sedgwick  County  is  that  carried  on  by  the  seven 
Roman  CathoHc  churches.  In  adcHtion  to  these,  one  church 
at  Derby  has  been  for  some  time  inactive.  Information  for  survey 
puri)oses  was  not  furnished  by  the  Roman  Catholics  themselves, 
hence  this  statement  must  of  necessity  be  brief,  and  limited  to  the 
meagre  information  contained  in  the  National  Catholic  Directory, 
plus  the  obvious  influence  exerted  by  the  churches,  as  gathered 
during  a  visit  to  the  communities  of  which  they  form  a  part.  Six 
priests  serve  the  seven  organised  and  active  churches,  one  of  which 
is  classed,  officially,  as  a  mission.  This  is  the  church  at  Clonmel. 
served  by  the  priest  residing  at  Schulte. 


RO.MAN   CATHOLIC  CIIUKCll.   AXDAI.E 


Speaking  generally,  it  may  be  stated  that  the  Roman  Catholic 
churches  in  .Sedgwick  are  all  in  a  flourishing  condition.  The  priests 
themselves  admit  the  difliculties  of  the  work,  and  seem  to  think  that 
real  i)rogress  has  been  slow,  but  some  really  wonderful  achievements 
can  be  recorded.  The  farmers  of  German  descent  who  live  in 
closely  knit  comiuunities  cannot  be  said  to  have  bigger  incomes  than 

72 


NON-PROTESTANT  WORK 

their  neighbours.  In  fact,  the  agricultural  leaders  feel  that  they  have 
not  fully  grasped  their  opportunities  nor  realised  the  best  possible 
returns  from  their  farms.  Probably  they  are  more  thrifty,  for  they 
have  certainly  put  more  of  their  su1)stance  into  the  equipment  of  their 
churches  than  have  their  neighbours.  In  a  very  literal  sense,  they 
brought  their  church  with  them;  it  is  a  fixed  and  determinate  factor 
in  their  lives,  and  has  been  ingrained  in  their  consciousness  for  a 
longer  period  than  in  the  lives  of  their  neighbours.  There  is  hardly 
a  more  inspiring  sight  in  Sedgwick  than  to  drive  through  the  west- 
ern part  of  the  county  among  the  plants  of  such  churches.  Even 
their  very  size  is  impressive:  the  huge  dark-red  brick  building 
at  Colwich,  the  bright-red  brick  at  Andale.  the  brown  stone  edifice  of 
St.  Marks,  the  pure  white  tile  of  St.  Mary's.  All  churches  have 
schools,  and  around  them  centres  a  complete  community  life.  The 
devotion  of  the  people  to  the  Church  and  its  leaders  is  admirable  and 
membership  is  said  to  l)e  increasing. 

According  to  the  National  Catholic  Directory,  the  total  enrolment 
of  the  parochial  schools  is  534.  The  total  Catholic  membership  of  the 
seven  churches  is  estimated  to  be  1,833.  The  outstanding  features 
of  the  Roman  Catholic  work  are,  then:  superior  equipment,  large 
memberships,  remarkable  devotion  and  support  by  the  people,  an 
active  participation  by  the  Church  in  the  social  and  community  life 
of  its  people. 


73 


Chapter  XIII 
CONCLUSIONS   AND   RI':C(  )MMENDATIONS 

THE  foregoing  chapters  revealed  the  economic  and  social  life 
of  the  county,  together  with  facts  relating  to  its  church  life. 
After  such  a  recital  of  facts,  many  conclusions  may  be 
reached.  Every  dweller  in  the  county,  every  worker,  especially 
every  minister,  should  come  to  certain  definite  conclusions  and 
recommendations  in  regard  to  this  survey.  The  conclusions  and 
recommendations  of  the  surveyor,  who  can  have  no  part  in  the 
carrying  out  of  any  plans  or  programme  which  may  result,  are  here 
given  for  whatever  value  they  may  have  as  a  summing  up  of  prob- 
lems, or  as  a  means  of  conveying  certain  definite  suggestions. 

ASSETS 

As  a  reading  of  this  narrative  reveals,  the  churches  of  Sedgwick 
County  have  accomplished  a  good  deal  and  have  great  assets.  At 
this  present  writing  all  but  two  churches  are  self-supporting. 
Churches  are  slowly  improving  their  buildings  and  parsonages  and 
are  devoting  space  for  social  equipment  in  new  buildings.  Unlike 
that  of  most  cities,  the  rural  population  near  Wichita  is  fairly  well 
cared  for  religiously.  A  high  proportion  of  expenditures  goes  for 
benevolences :  an  average  of  twenty-seven  per  cent  is  a  good  record 
for  a  group  of  country  churches.  Per  capita  giving  is  high.  There  is 
a  large  proportion  of  men  in  church  meml)ership.  Very  nearly  the 
entire  county  is  included  within  the  boundaries  of  the  church  par- 
ishes. Erom  the  Sunday  schools  of  these  churches  seventeen  per- 
sons have  gone  into  some  form  of  definite  Christian  work  during  the 
last  ten  years.  In  addition,  the  spirit  of  the  people  of  this  region 
is  a  great  asset  to  anv  organisation  working  therein.  It  is  a  section 
with  strong  community  pride  and  sj)irit.  Its  peo})le  believe  in 
change.  They  say.  "As  it  was  in  the  beginning,  is  now — and  we'll 
change  things  now  to  suit  ourselves."  The  church  in  Sedgwick 
County  has  not  the  disadvantage  of  working  in  a  static,  settled,  con- 
servative area.  Those  who  settled  in  Kansas  came  to  do  great  work 
and  to  accom])lish  big  things.  Communities  are  now  settling  down 
and  are  thinking  more  of  social  and  religious  problems. 

74 


CONCLUSIONS  AND  RECOMMENDATIONS 

In  addition  to  these  impressions  of  assets,  there  are  others  dealing 
with  outstanding  needs  which  are  here  recorded. 


NEGLECTED   AREAS  AND  GROUPS 

Unchurched  Territory 

With  the  aid  of  the  map  showing  the  community  iDoundanes,  an 
effort  should  be  made  at  once  to  reach  all  unchurched  territory  in  the 
county.  This  can  best  be  done  by  a  house-to-house  religious  census 
with  all  the  churches  of  the  local  community  working  together.  An 
examination  of  the  community  and  parish  map  will  show  that  there 
is  very  little  unchurched  territory  in  the  county.  That  which  still 
exists  can  be  easily  eliminated  by  an  effort  on  the  part  of  the 
churches  to  reach  out,  and  embrace  the  entire  community  in  its 
work  and  ministry.  A  map  of  the  county  placed  in  the  hands  of 
every  minister  will  enaljle  the  pastors  to  study  their  parish  l)ound- 
aries  in  relation  to  the  extent  of  their  communities.  By  united 
effort,  all  unchurched  territory  can  be  adequately  cared  for. 

Neiv  Americans 

Increased  service  should  lie  rendered  liy  the  Protestant  churches, 
preferably  in  co-operation,  to  the  small  groups  of  New  Americans 
located  in  the  county.  This  should  be  l:)egun  by  definite  friendly 
services,  by  visiting  and  by  a  study  of  the  problem  of  the  new 
American  in  the  local  community  by  the  local  churches.  These 
people  should  Ije  brought  into  the  homes  of  the  village,  taught  the 
English  language,  and,  so  far  as  possible,  assisted  in  the  solving 
of  their  housing  and  other  economic  problems.  Above  all,  a  constant 
friendly  spirit  should  be  evinced  towards  them  l^y  all  the  churches. 
As  yet  there  are  few  New  Americans  in  the  town  and  country  areas 
of  Sedgwick  County.  They  are  chiefly  Mexicans  working  on  the 
railroads  together  with  a  few  Bohemians  and  Polish  farmers.  Their 
number  is  so  small  as  to  render  them  easily  neglected.  Again,  those 
who  work  on  the  railroads  are  mainly  transients,  and  this  adds  to  the 
difficulty  in  reaching  them.  Yet  among  these  first  New  Americans 
slowly  making  their  way  into  Sedgwick  County  lies  a  great  oppor- 
tunity for  the  exercise  of  the  ministry  of  the  churches.  The  first 
who  come  may  be  but  forerunners  of  others,  and  if  these  are  given 
kind  and  hospitable  treatment,  a  great  deal  will  have  been  done 
towards  solving  the  problem  of  the  relations  between  New  Ameri- 
cans and  the  native  born,  in  case  the  former  come  into  the  com- 
munity in  considerable  numbers. 

75 


SURVEY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY,  KANSAS 

Farm  Tenant  families 

Pastors  and  all  church  workers  should  increase  their  ministry  to 
the  tenant  families.  Fifty-six  i)er  cent  of  the  farms  are  operated 
by  tenants,  but  only  twelve  and  nine-tenths  per  cent  of  the  farmers 
in  the  churches  are  tenants.  This  is  because  the  tenant  has  not  been 
vitally  reached  by  the  churches.  In  Sedgwick  County  thirty  out 
of  fifty-two  Sunday  schools  have  a  larij^er  enrolment  than  the 
church  of  which  they  form  a  part,  and  this  is  due,  to  a  small  extent, 
to  the  fact  that,  while  the  children  of  tenant  families  attend  the 
Sunday  school,  their  parents  do  not  belong  to  the  church. 

In  nearly  every  respect  the  farm  tenant  has,  of  course,  the  same 
standing  as  the  farm  owner.  He  is,  however,  somewhat  handicapped. 
He  shifts  about  a  great  deal  more  than  the  owner.  There  is  a  con- 
stant effort  on  the  part  of  tenants  to  get  to  the  better  farms.  Even- 
tually, often  after  severe  struggle,  the  best  tenants  will  land  on  the 
best  farms  of  the  community ;  but  even  then  their  stay  is  uncertain 
and  insecure.  The  survey  of  Sedgwick  County  shows  that  between 
1910  and  1920  the  proportion  of  farm  tenantry  increased  greatly. 
Farm  owners  moved  to  the  city  or  to  the  villages  in  goodly  numbers, 
and  many  of  them  are  renting  their  farms.  This  practice  has  brought 
numbers  of  new  people  into  the  county  and  increased  the  shifting 
of  population.  Today  there  are  considerably  more  acres  of  land 
being  cultivated  by  tenant  farmers  than  by  owners.  The  family  of 
the  tenant  is  hard  to  reach,  and  in  view  of  the  high  proportion  of 
non-resident  ministers,  the  problem  of  ministering  to  it  is  not  easy 
of  solution.  Frequent  conference  and  discussion  between  pastors 
and  lay  leaders  should  bring  about  a  more  intensive  pastoral  care 
and  the  rendering  of  an  all-around  service  to  this  group  of  the  inhabi- 
tants of  the  county. 

Hanrsf  Hands 

The  thousand  harvest  hands  who  come  into  Sedgwick  County 
every  season  are  also  among  those  needing  attention.  To  minister 
to  them  demands  an  expansion  of  the  programme  of  the  local  church. 
In  the  beginning  such  ministry  may  have  to  take  the  form  of  enter- 
tainment for  men  who  are  waiting  in  the  villages  for  farmers  to 
take  them  to  the  fields.  In  some  towns,  elsewhere,  tents  or  huts 
have  been  devised  to  occupy  the  time  of  the  men  and  a  friendly 
spirit  made  to  ])revail.  The  harvest  hand  is  suspicious  of  the  Church, 
but  he  may  be  induced  to  welcome  that  which  is  not  regarded  as 
being   strictly   religious    in   character — as   a   beginning.      The   other 

76 


CONCLUSIONS  AND  RECOMMENDATIONS 

community  organisations,  if  brought  in  on  a  co-operative  plan,  can 
play  a  real  part  in  friendly  service  to  the  harvest  hand. 

RECREATION    AND    LEISURE    TIME 

Some  agency  within  the  county  needs  to  take  up  the  responsi- 
bility of  providing  better  recreation,  and  more  of  it,  in  town  and 
country  communities.  With  the  exception  of  the  farmers  who  live 
close  to  Wichita,  people  from  the  rest  of  the  county  do  not  go  there 
habitually  for  movies,  theatres  or  any  other  recreation.  They  do  go 
for  special  occasions,  however.  There  is  a  notable  lack  of  organi- 
sations having  for  their  object  the  provision  of  recreation  for 
women  and  girls.  There  are  no  community  libraries  in  the  county 
outside  of  Wichita.  In  one  county  in  the  Middle  West  a  county 
lil)rary  has  established  twenty  branches,  some  of  which  have  a  total 
circulation  of  one  thousand  books  per  month,  showing  the  great 
hunger  for  good  reading  matter  existing  among  people  of  town 
and  country  communities.  The  matter  of  libraries  might  be  taken 
care  of  by  an  extension  work  of  the  Wichita  City  Library,  if  it  had 
the  equipment  and  finances. 

The  need  for  recreation  must  be  faced ;  and  the  country  churches 
should  have  a  part  in  seeing  to  it  that  the  right  kind  is  I^rought  into 
their  communities.  In  one  village  a  pastor  has  been  the  leader  in 
providing  a  small  playground.  The  start  thus  made  in  one  com- 
munity might  well  be  imitated  in  the  others  throughout  the  county. 

LACK    OF    RESIDENT    MINISTERS 

In  considering  the  problems  of  the  .churches  of  the  county,  one 
of  those  that  looms  largest  is  the  problem  of  the  non-resident  min- 
istry. Out  of  twenty-seven  open  country  churches  with  pastors, 
nineteen  were  served,  in  the  spring  of  1920,  by  non-resident  min- 
isters. There  is  a  noticeal)le  concentration  of  non-resident  min- 
isters in  the  villages,  and  in  the  city  of  Wichita.  At  the  time  of 
the  survey  eleven  country  churches  in  the  county  were  served  by 
pastors  from  the  city.  This  proportion  has  been  increasing  until,  in 
the  spring  of  1921,  fifteen  of  fifty-three  town  and  country  Protes- 
tant churches  were  served  by  ministers  living  in  the  city.  In  addi- 
tion, both  of  the  churches  in  the  community  of  Peck,  which  is  located 
just  across  the  southern  boundary  of  the  county,  were  served  by 
Wichita  pastors.  For  the  most  part  the  ministers  of  Wichita  who 
serve  open  country  churches  either  serve  another  church  in  the  city 
or  are  men  following  other  occupations. 

77 


SL'RVKV  OF  SKDCiWICK  COLXTV.  KANSAS 

Several  ihin^^s  might  lie  done.  First,  it  should  be  possible  to 
tie  up  more  of  the  country  churches  to  churches  in  Wichita,  thus 
giving  one  city  and  one  country  church  to  a  pastor.  This  would 
work  out  in  a  fairly  satisfactory  way  for  churches  not  very  far  dis- 
tant from  the  city  of  Wichita.  It  would  go  far,  too,  in  supplying 
the  lack  of  resident  ministers  provided  the  man  gives  a  few  days 
each  week  to  pastoral  work  in  the  country.  Second,  the  ministers 
living  in  Wichita  and  serving  open  country  churches  should  be 
brought  together  at  regular  intervals  for  fellowship  and  the  con- 
sideration of  their  problems.  Through  such  conferences,  plans 
might  be  worked  out  for  the  furnishing  of  a  better  ministry  to  the 
churches  concerned.  Third,  steps  should  be  taken  for  the  considera- 
tion of  the  problem  of  overchurching  and  competition  taken  up  in 
the  next  section.  Only  through  a  closer  co-operation  on  the  part 
of  the  local  churches  can  the  problem  of  adequate  pastoral  service  be 
developed.  There  are  seven  or  eight  communities  in  Sedgwick 
County  with  more  than  one  church,  and  with  present  resources  such 
that  it  is  out  of  the  question  for  all  of  them  to  maintain  a  resident 
minister  of  their  own. 

OVERCHURCHING  AND  COMPETITION 

There  should  be  federation,  withdrawal,  "swapping"  churches  by 
denominations  or  other  means  used  in  order  to  eliminate  the  com- 
petition and  overchurching  which  exists  at  present.  In  the  villages 
there  is  one  church  to  every  271  people.  This  is  too  small  a  number 
to  sup])ort  a  pastor  on  full  time,  and  put  on  a  virile  programme  such 
as  the  modern  rural  community  needs.  In  the  open  country  there 
is  one  church  to  every  456  people,  thus  showing  that  there  is  a 
notable  tendency  to  concentrate  churches  in  the  villages.  W'hen  one 
compares  this  pro])ortion  of  churches  to  population  with  the  stand- 
ard suggested  by  all  interdenominational  organisations — one  church 
to  every  thousand  people — it  becomes  evident  that  these  villages 
especially  are  badly  overchurched.  Moreover,  almost  half  of  the 
churches  in  the  county  number  less  than  fifty  people,  and  cannot 
support  a  resident  pastor  or  furnish  better  equipment. 

Thirty  years  ago  Eastern  Kansas  was  l)eing  rapidly  occupied  by 
various  missionary  forces.  Today  it  is  clearly  evident  that  this 
occupation  was  altogether  too  adequate — that  is,  there  were  too 
manv  church  organisations  and  buildings  erected,  accompanied  by 
too  great  a  concentration  in  the  strongest  villages.  It  just  happens 
that  the  churches  in  the  overchurched  villages  of  the  county  are 
making  more  progress   than   the   others,   but   this   is   solely   because 

78 


CONCLUSIONS  AND  RECO^^^^^^WnDATIONS 

they  receive  very  much  more  pastoral  attention  than  elsewhere. 
There  is  a  great  deal  of  overla])ping  and  competition  in  these  vil- 
lages w^hich  might  l)e  avoided  and  the  effort  spent  in  more  adequate 
ministry  to  the  people  in  the  ope)i  country.  There  is  need  lor  a 
much  greater  co-operation  hetween  denominations  than  there  has 
been  in  the  past,  in  order  that  the  waste  and  competition  so  evident 
in  some  of  the  communities  of  Sedgwick  County  may  be  prevented. 

LEADERSHIP    TRAINING 

Pastors  and  Sunday-school  teachers  should  take  definite  steps  to 
train  leaders  within  the  churches.  This  means  more  than  keeping 
young  people  interested  in  the  Sunday  school  or  in  supplying  them 
with  work  in  the  various  organisations.  It  means  that  special  atten- 
tion be  given  those  who  show  promise  of  oecoming  leaders  beyond 
the  ordinary  Sunday-school  period.  Only  two  churches  make  defi- 
nite efforts  to  train  leaders  in  this  manner,  and  yet  it  is  one  of  the 
vital  needs  in  most  country  churches.  Sunday-school  and  church 
work  often  becomes  too  much  of  a  mere  routine,  and  there  is  not 
enough  outside  effort  put  forth  on  the  part  of  those  who  are  already 
leaders  to  develop  more  leaders.  Sometimes  pastors  or  Sunday- 
school  superintendents  do  their  greatest  service  when,  in  addition  to 
conducting  Sunday-school  services,  they  .see  to  it  that  those  who  bid 
fair  to  become  leaders  get  the  ])roper  kind  of  encouragement  and 
training  to  fit  them  for  their  place  and  their  work.  Those  who  desire 
to  serve  and  to  grow  should  not  be  prevented  from  doing  so. 

MEAGRE  LOCAL  CHURCH   PROGRAMME 

Bound  up  with  the  problems  of  a  non-resident  ministry  is  that  of 
a  meagre  church  programme.  This  refers,  of  course,  to  such  as 
special  missionary  work,  local  charital)le  work,  etc.  The  fact  that 
nine  churches  do  some  form  of  special  missionary  work  is  one 
of  the  encouraging  things  in  the  church  life  of  the  county.  Thirteen 
meet  the  needs  of  local  charitable  work,  but  this  is  seldom  done  on 
a  systematic  basis.  Only  three  churches  assist  in  the  civic  enter- 
prises of  their  neighbourhoods  and  eight  take  a  definite  part  in 
social  and  recreational  life.  Five  are  responsible  for  some  educa- 
tional work  outside  of  the  Sunday  school.  Others  are  interested  in 
cultural  improvement  in  their  communities,  and  three  do  special 
work  among  >oung  people.  Twenty-three  churches  celebrate  festi- 
vals, holidays,  anniversaries,  etc.,  but  seventeen  churches  claim  to 
undertake  nothing  in  the  way  of  general  programme.    Through  some 

79 


SLR\'KV   O^i,-   s'-l)('WI(K   COLXTV.   KANSAS 

C(iiini\-  organisation  or  agency  more  churches  could  he  educated  to 
the  a(l\antages  of  nutting  on  a  wide  church  programme. 

FREQUENT   PASTORAI.  CIIA.\(;ES 

In  Sedgwick  County  there  is  a  similar  record  of  short  pastorates 
to  that  found  elsewhere  in  rural  America.  It  is  a  condition  which 
results  in  ministers  heing  unacquainted  with  their  parishioners  and 
church  i)eople  unacquainted  with  their  ]iastors.  Not  one  church  in 
Sedgwick  County  has  had  its  pastor  for  ten  years.  Only  five  churches 
have  had  two  pastors  in  the  past  ten  years.  It  is  pretty  generally 
admitted  that  it  is  not  ])ossihle  to  do  a  worth-while  and  permanent 
piece  of  work  in  an  average  country  church  during  a  pastorate 
of  less  than  four  or  five  years.  In  addition  to  the  five  churches  pre- 
viously mentioned,  one  church  has  had  two  pastors  within  the  past 
five  years,  while  the  rest  have  had  three,  or  more,  during  the  past 
ten  years.  Many  organisations  give  their  employees  a  year's  time  to 
get  acquainted — "to  get  their  feet  on  the  ground."  The  ministry 
is  a  big  enough  job  for  a  man  to  require  some  time  to  get  thoroughly 
acquainted  before  .doing  his  best  work.  Oi  course,  the  question  of 
ministers'  salaries  enters  into  the  matter.  ( )n  the  whole,  these  are 
too  low.  They  average  $1,422  per  year  for  ministers  without  their 
occupation,  while  those  who  have  other  occupations  receive  for  their 
church  work  an  average  of  $541  per  year.  Those  with  no  special 
training  for  the  ministry  receive  the  lower  salaries.  Salaries  and 
conditions  should  be  better,  and  the  problem  of  short  pastorates 
needs  to  be  solved  in  order  to  increase  the  prosperity  of  the  churches 
in  Sedgwick  County. 

FINANCIAL    METHODS 

Fourteen  of  fifty-one  churches  have  no  systematic  methods  of 
handling  their  finances.  Slightly  more  than  half  of  the  churches,  or 
twenty-seven,  use  the  budget  system  for  all  the  money  they  raise, 
while  twelve  churches  l)udget  local  expenses  only.  Nine  churches 
use  single  weekly  envelopes  for  raising  money,  while  ten  churches 
use  duplex  envelopes.  This  shows  that  a  beginning  has  been  made 
in  ]iutting  church  finances  on  a  weekly  basis. 

In  a  county  so  i)rosperous  there  should  be  nt)  difiiculty  in  securing 
church  money  weekly,  though  in  many  cases  it  is  done  with  great 
difiiculty.  Given  more  education  along  these  lines,  financial  methods 
could  be  greatly  improved.  This  is  very  evident  from  the  fact  that 
per  capita  contributions  per  active  member,  in  churches  having  a 
budget  system  and  an  every  member  canvass,  are  higher  than  the 

80 


CONCLUSIONS  AND  RECOMMl\^NDATIONS 

yearly  contriluitions  in  churches  without  a  financial  system.  The 
figures  are  as  follows : 

The  average  per  capita  contribution  per  }-ear  for  the  village 
churches  with  a  budget  system  for  all  money  raised  and  an  every 
member  canvass  is  $26.90. 

The  average  per  capita  contribution  per  year  of  the  village 
churches  without  a  budget  system  and  an  every  member  canvass  is 
$12.03. 

The  average  per  capita  contribution  per  year  in  the  open  countrv 
churches  with  a  budget  system  and  an  every  member  canvass  is 
$25.67. 

The  average  per  capita  contribution  per  year  from  the  open 
country  churches  without  a  budget  system  and  an  every  member 
canvass  is  $15.40. 

CHURCH    ORGANISATIONS 

There  are  no  organisations  for  men  in  the  churches  of  the  county. 
Women's  organisations  number  forty-five.  For  boys  and  girls 
there  are  four  (jrganisations.  Mixed  organisations,  such  as  Christian 
Endeavor  Societies.  Epworth  League,  etc.,  number  twenty-nine. 
These  organisations  are  so  distributed  that  all  but  fourteen  churches 
have  one  or  more  such  organisations.  The  outstanding  fact  in  regard 
to  the  church  organisations  is  the  lack  of  organisations  for  men  and 
boys  and  girls.  These  are  always  a  force,  and  accomplish  things  when 
organised  for  other  than  church  work.  Especially  in  regard  to  l)ovs" 
and  girls"  work,  the  church  should  not  hesitate  in  supplying  recrea- 
tion or  other  social  activities,  provided  there  is  a  need  for  them  in 
the  community.  If  the  matter  of  recreation  and  social  activitv  is 
adequately  taken  care  of  by  another  organisation  in  the  communitv, 
then  the  church  need  not  compete,  but  it  is  the  duty  of  the  church 
to  do  service  and  to  meet  prevailing  needs  in  an  absolutely  unselfish 
way  when  such  needs  exist.  And  undoubtedly  they  do  exist  in  the 
town  and  country  communities  of  Sedgwick  County. 

INDIFFERENCE 

The  total  resident  meml^ership  of  the  town  and  country  churches 
is  only  twenty-two  per  cent  of  the  total  town  and  country  population. 
The  total  Roman  Catholic  population  in  the  county  (excluding  that 
immediately  surrounding  the  city  of  Wichita)  is  estimated  to  be  ten 
per  cent  of  the  total  rural  population.  This  means  that  roughly 
thirty-five  per  cent  of  the  people  are  in  the  churches.  Indifiference 
toward  the  work  of  the  Church  exists  everywhere  and  is  a  great  chal- 

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SLR\'KV   <);•'  Si:i)(i\\I('K  COIXTV.   KANSAS 

k'lij^e.  l'"spcciall_s  in  a  ret;iiin  like  Scdj^wick.  it  is  liard  to  overcome 
this  indifference,  but  definite,  systematic  elTort  should  l)e  made  to 
enlist  the  interests  of  the  peojile  in  the  work  of  the  churches. 

TriK    RHLK    01"    THE    CITY    IN    SECURIXC.    GRKATF.R    CO-OI'KR.\TIOX 
BRTVVEEN    THE   CHURCHES 

In  Parts  I  and  II  of  this  survey  the  relation  of  the  city  and  the 
cit\'  churches  to  some  of  the  rural  ])rol)lems  is  reviewed.  We  note 
that  in  i()2i  fifteen  churches  in  the  country  have  their  pastors  living 
in  \\  ichita.  These  men.  with  a  few  exceptions,  would  he  the  first 
to  admit  that  the\'  are  badly  handicapped  in  their  ministry  to  the 
countrx-  churches  under  present  conditions.  Tl^^c  exce])tions  are 
those  who  are  able  to  devote  some  time  during  the  week  to  rural 
work.  Most  of  the  rural  churches  cannot  i)rosper  nor  is  the  city 
doing  a  great  deal  to  help  them  under  nresent  conditions.  Most  of 
the  arrangements  are  at  best  but  makeshift  in  character,  because 
of  the  weakness  of  the  rural  churches  and  the  indifference  t)f  most  of 
those  in  the  city.  For  the  immediate  future  the  most  promising 
line  of  action  would  appear  to  be  the  linking  up  of  a  nearby  country 
church  with  a  city  church,  as  has  been  done  already  in  three  or  four 
cases.  That  may  be  the  line  to  adopt  with  regard  to  the  churches 
near  to  Wichita  because  eventually  they  will  be  real  suburban  terri- 
tory. But  for  the  churches  in  the  country,  ministering  to  })eoplc  in 
separate  communities,  at  a  greater  distance  from  the  city,  that  method 
will  not  solve  the  problem.  The  solution  lies  deeper  than  in  mere 
denominational  ])astoral  .supply.  It  calls  for  co-operation  between  the 
local  country  churches,  federation,  withdrawal,  and  other  means  of 
eliminating  harmful  competition. 

Among  the  big  things  the  city  churches  can  do  is  an  increased 
effort  to  stimulate  better  methods  in  religious  educational  and  young 
people's  work.  Possibly  the  city  could  take  the  lead  in  calling  a  con- 
ference on  recreation  ])roblems.  to  which  all  groups  in  the  country 
should  especially  be  invited.  Out  of  the  city's  experience  in  play- 
ground work  and  scout  work  may  come  some  leadership  for  the 
rural  communities  to  start  on  their  way. 

Then,  the  churches  of  the  city  could  possibly  lead,  in  an  unselfish 
wa\-.  toward  the  forming  of  an  organisation  or  agency  which  could 
do  some  of  the  things  that  need  to  be  done  co-operatively  throughout 
the  rural  communities.  This  might  be  a  County  Federation  of 
Churches.  Wichita  already  has  a  federation  office.  Overhead 
exi)cnses  could  be  saved  by  combining  the  work  of  the  two.  Again, 
there  mav  be  laymen  of  vision  in  the  city,  willing  to  support  such  an 


CONCLUSIONS  AND  RECO.MME  J 

organisation  which  would  liring  together  pastors  and  leaders  of  all 
the  rural  churches.  If  the  city  federation  is  willing  to  he  of  service 
in  this  manner,  and  the  rural  pastors  and  people  desire  that  service, 
it  seems  as  though  a  real  start  could  he  made  toward  a  worth-while 
programme.  There  is  enough  to  he  done  to  recfuire  one  man's  whole 
time  in  rural  work.  Were  the  right  man  secured,  he  could  he  a 
co-ordinator  of  recreational  and  social,  as  well  as  church,  activities. 
No  city,  it  should  he  rememhered,  can  do  work  ]:)roperly  for  its  out- 
lying country  districts.  It  can.  however,  assist  in  doing  what  the 
rural  people  see  needs  to  he  done. 

CONCLUSION 

Measured  hy  old  standards,  the  churches  of  Sedgwick  County 
are  doing  their  work  very  well.  But  with  the  great  needs  of  the 
present  dav  demanding  attention,  and  the  necessity  for  hetter 
methods  and  departures  from  the  traditional  lines  calling  for  con- 
sideration, we  see  that,  side  by  side  with  great  assets,  are  weak- 
nesses wdiich  need  to  he  remedied.  With  ministers  and  people  of 
spirit  and  courage  such  as  one  finds  in  Sedgwick  County,  there 
appears  to  be  no  reason  why  this  county  cannot  be  a  leader  in 
religious  work,  in  the  state  and  country.  There  is  a  great  opportunity 
for  advance  and  for  doing  some  of  the  great  things  which  constitute 
the  rightful  task  of  the  pastors  and  church  people  of  Sedgwick. 


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